


Not your Pet

by xX_Duke_of_Yaoi_Xx



Category: Hellsing Ultimate Abridged, Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: A/B/O, Abortion, Accidents, Adoption, Alpha Alucard, Alpha Damien, Alpha Jarvis, Alpha Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), Anal Sex, Angst, Bonding, CEO Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), Car Accident, Comatose Eren Yeager, Drinking, Eren and Levi have kids, Everyone ends up with kids, Fluff, Kinks, M/M, Mates, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Minor Character Death, Miscarriage, Mpreg, Omega Casper, Omega Derek, Omega Eren Yeager, Omega Lathe, Puppy Play, Rough Sex, Sex, Smut, Strained Relationships, True Mates, Vampire Bites, Vampire Hunter Alucard, Vampire Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), Vampires, Werecats, Werewolf Eren Yeager, Werewolves, alpha scotty, drakes, hospital workers, m/m - Freeform, main character severe injuries, omega Terrance, under age drinking
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-01
Updated: 2019-03-24
Packaged: 2019-07-05 06:35:22
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 29
Words: 139,765
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15858204
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xX_Duke_of_Yaoi_Xx/pseuds/xX_Duke_of_Yaoi_Xx
Summary: What would you do is you saw the sexiest person in town at the bar? Well try to make them yours, right? Well That’s exactly what you would try to do, but they’re not your pet.





	1. The Bar

Alucard taped his fingers against the bar, the low-lit bar even darker behind his shades, skimming the patrons.  _ Hm…. bartender keeping an eye on me in case he needs to throw me out, check…. giggly lightweight pasty chicks, check… ah.  _ Alucard took another sip from his glass.  _ Cute guy? And a new face. Nice. I wonder what he tastes like….  _ Alucard took off his shades and set them down on the bar, managing to catch the man’s gaze for a moment and send him a wink and a smirk, gauging his reaction. 

 

Terrance looked right through Alucard, looking behind him at something on the wall the bartender was pointing out. “Thanks for the drinks, Eric…. but I think I’ll be going after this round.” His voice was quiet, swirling his drink and watching the liquid move around ever so slowly.  _ That weird guy is still looking at me, great… He looked like he had red eyes too…. a pureblood? Well that’s weird enough to even see one.  _

Alucard quirked an eyebrow as the man looked right past him.  _ Really? Well then. I have my work cut out for me.  _ Alucard watched him stand, knocking back the rest of his drink and setting the glass down, standing as the man walked past, following him and catching him before he could leave, smirking faintly. “Have time for a drink with me?”  _ Stay a bit. _

“I’m sorry, I’m not interested.” His voice was flat, pulling Alucard’s hands off of him and backing a bit away from him, looking over him fully.  _ He does have red eyes, or pretty damn close to it if they aren’t….  _ “I really should be going, thank you for the offer.”  _ I need to be polite, he could drain me in a fucking instant…  _

“You’re sure? Not just one?” Alucard touched his arm, his mind reaching out a bit, trying to coax him to say yes.  _ Won’t you? _

Terrance’s eyes widened a little as his body visibly relaxed and looked through Alucard once more.  _ Ye-Yeah, one….  _ He made a move to step forward, confused when an arm was suddenly clamped around his own. 

“Alucard, you fucker, let him out of it, I’ll ban you for a month if you keep this up, he doesn’t want to do it, let him go.”  _ I fucking hate this part of my job.  _ Eric was holding Terrance back, trying to get him into the right state of mind.  

Alucard immediately let him go, not looking at Eric and watching Terrance come out of it as quickly as he’d sunk into it, his look apologetic. “I apologize… I shouldn’t have done that. Don’t let me keep you.”  _ I probably shouldn’t do that. At the very least to keep from pissing Cartman off more. _

Terrance nodded, looking away and pulling out his phone from his back pocket to check the time. His hands were covered in bandages, some of them darker than others and looked to be functioning as bandages not just decorative wrappings. He squinted at the time on the phone. “I’m going home, I’ll see you around Eric…”  _ I swear to god if I see this guy again it’s gonna be ugly…  _

Alucard paused when he saw the bandages on his hands, curious and concerned. “Sorry, but your hands… are you alright?” Alucard looked to the bandages.  _ They’re wrapped pretty heavily….  _

Terrance nodded. “I’m fine, completely fine, just had them wrapped extra well..” He backed up once more, sighing quietly and looking down not meeting Alucard’s gaze. “I should be going, I have work in the morning….”  _ He asked about my hands, god fucking dammit….  _

“Oh, what do you do?” Alucard looked genuinely interested.  _ Hm.  _

“Do you really need to know? I’m sorry, but I really should be going.”  _ I need to leave, he’s getting too talkative…  _ Terrance took a few steps back and away, turning towards the door.  _ I don’t like this, no one else has noticed me, why him? _

“I’m sorry, don’t let me keep you. Have a good night.”  _ Well, shit.  _ Alucard leaned against the wall for a few minutes, looking over the crowd before sighing.  _ He was the only good-looking one here…. fuck.  _ Alucard left not long after, sighing.  _ Maybe I’ll see him again…. who knows.  _

It was the same thing the next night, Alucard quiet at the bar, thanking Cartman as he was handed a drink, paying him well.  _ I swear, he only lets me stay here because I tip well.  _ He looked around, surprised to see the same man come in again.  _ Hm…. this’ll be interesting.  _ Alucard took off his shades, looking back to him as he was about to pass him, softly smiling. “I’m sorry about last night…. I’d love to have a drink with you if you want to.”  _ You don’t have to.  _

Terrance looked at him curiously. “You gonna buy it for me?”  _ Maybe I will if you buy it for me… but that also depends on how you’re going to talk about anything at all.  _ He took a tentative step towards the empty chair at the bar beside him, curious, his dark hair ruffled as he ran his hand through it. He was dressed mostly in black, his jeans clinging to his ass, and his shirt loose around his small frame.  _ This could be interesting but he probably just wants blood... _

“Of course. What would you like?” Alucard was very pleased as the man sat down next to him, letting him order and paying Cartman.  _ I’ll buy you drinks, don’t worry.  _ “I’m sorry, I haven’t even gotten your name yet.” 

“It’s Terrance, I don’t believe I’ve gotten yours either, Stranger.” He took his glass of bourbon from Eric, thanking him and sipping from it.  _ This’ll be interesting…. _

“I’m Alucard.” He chuckled as Terrance pondered it. “I know, all vampire names sound fuckin’ weird. I like mine, though. It’s definitely not the worst I’ve heard.” 

“I think I like Stranger better, not some shot off of Dracula….”  _ It’s not a great name…. Stranger will work better.  _ He sipped from his glass, his head down and staring at the amber liquid. 

“Not really much I can do about that. Alucard is what Dracula named his second personality. Me.” Alucard took another sip of his drink. “I’m not fucking with you, either. You wanna say hi to Drac?”  _ I’m not lying about that.  _

Terrance eye’s widened.  _ I’m either sitting next to a lunatic, or the real thing.  _ He shook his head and tossed back his drink setting the empty glass down. “Sure, why not?”  _ Might as well.  _

Alucard nodded, looking down and swirling his drink for a moment as he went knocking.  _ The guy wants to see you.  _ It took only a few seconds for his demeanor to switch, sitting up straighter, an arm on the back of his chair as he looked over to Terrance, his accent strong and fluid. “I know Alucard might sound like a lunatic more often than not, but he wasn’t lying for once, surprisingly.” He held out a hand, a charming smile on his face. “Dracula. But please, call me Drac.”  _ He  _ **_is_ ** _ cute….  _

Terrance’s eyes widened a bit, blushing and holding out his own hand. “Terrance…. thanks Eric…” He took another glass of bourbon, smiling softly as he looked up to Drac. “So you’re the real deal, huh? That’s interesting, is that why no one was willing to sit next to you?”  _ You have empty chairs all around you…  _

“Well, Alucard tends to take over- he wouldn’t be himself if he didn’t- and he has a certain… reputation. It doesn’t help that he’s a vampire either. Maybe it’s all of the above. But it’s nice to have some company.” Drac smiled, slowly drinking.  _ It’s nice to be in control again. It’s been a while.  _

_ I let you do grocery shopping today! _

_ I like being social too, Ali. You picked well.  _

**_Thank_ ** _ you.  _

“I’m curious. What do you do for a living?”  _ Tell me about yourself.  _

“Work from home….”  _ Made it much easier to move here and away from all of them.  _ He took another sip at his drink, looking down as old memories surfaced. “Yourself?”  _ What do you do?  _

He thought for a moment. “How to put it… I’m doing contract work for an old friend of mine. It’s not easy to explain what I do. It tends to be different every time.”  _ It honestly is. I have no idea what I’m being sent to do every time she calls me.  _ “At least I get to travel for a lot of it. Alucard can get antsy staying in one place for too long. But I wouldn’t mind staying put a while.” Drac winked at him. 

_ Contract work? So like a porn star or something? Would that make him good in bed?  _ Terrance chuckled and sipped from his glass once more. “Well I guess it’s good you get to travel around then, better for Stranger’s sanity it seems…” He smiled just barely as he looked up to Drac, trying not to make his wrapped hands too obvious as he hid them in his long sleeves.  _ Shit, he probably saw them too… Stranger didn’t comment on them…  _

Dracula nodded, smiling. “Make of my profession whatever you like. And he’s  **insufferable** when he gets bored… there’s nothing more dangerous than that.”  _ You do a lot of shit because you’re bored.  _

_ …….you’re not wrong.  _

_ Mhm.  _ Dracula noticed the wrappings, his eyes soft as Alucard explained.  _ Ah. He probably doesn’t want me to mention that.  _ “I’m sorry if you’re uncomfortable with me asking, but I can heal your arm for you if you’re hurt.”  _ I can fix that.  _

Terrance seemed to pale a little at his words, quieting down and calming. He tried to hide his hands, swallowing thickly as he shook his head. “Don’t bother, it’s nothing really.”  _ He’ll look down on me if he realizes they’re whip marks… Fuck, then everyone will look down on me once they realize I’m an omega... _

“I’m sorry, I really didn’t mean to upset you. I just don’t want you hurting.” Drac reached out to gently touch his arm, smiling faintly.  _ Damn…. ...something’s on his mind.  _ Drac wasn’t sure what to say, taking another small sip of his drink, paying Cartman after another moment for another drink.  _ I won’t let his glass go empty.  _ “Is there anything you’re curious about?”  _ I’m sure you’ve got at least one question about me on your mind.  _

Terrance was quiet as he took the glass knocking it back and feeling the burn settle into his throat as the liquid warmed him further.  _ Fuck, it feels good to be warm like this…. hmmm….  _ “Well, since we all know what you’re after…. how big is your dick?”  _ Maybe I could take him home for a night…..  _ His thoughts were growing foggier by the moment having drained three glasses of liquor already, and just finished his fourth. 

Drac blushed and smirked, chuckling faintly, his hand going to cover Terrance’s glass when Cartman reached to refill it.  _ He shouldn’t be getting any more drinks if he wants what he might….  _ “I can assure you, it’s more than enough to have you  **very** happy… but if you really want to know, here isn’t exactly the place…” Drac gave him a soft and interested look.  _ I wouldn’t mind….. you’re  _ **_very_ ** _ good-looking…. I like him.  _

_ I like him too!! Get him home!!  _

_ Shut it, Ali, we’ll get there when we get there.  _

Terrance’s face flushed, a large smile creeping onto his face as he felt his core warm up and his head reach a blissful buzz. “Hmm, well, I can certainly be the judge of that.”  _ A one night stand can’t hurt that much, I mean there’s nothing in the house to take… maybe my wallet but nothing he would want.  _ He held in his purr as best as he could, stepping down off of the bar stool and leaning in to whisper in his ear. “Let’s go home….” 

Drac smiled, an arm snaking around Terrance’s waist. “Of course….” Drac purred to him, keeping him close as they left.  _ He’s even cuter when he smiles….  _ Drac let go of him, accepting his offer and climbing into his truck. “I tend to walk, so I don’t have a car here to worry about. I’m close by if you’d want to come to my place…”  _ Whatever makes you comfortable.  _

“Hmm, I wanna go home…” He pulled out of the parking lot and driving out into the suburbs.  _ Home… it isn’t much… but it’s here….. well now it is.  _ He pulled into a small ranch house, the outside worse for wear. Terrance hopped out, walking to the door and jingling the keys as he pulled them out and opened the door. “You can come in, don’t mind the mess okay?”  _ I really hope you won’t mind the mess, but it doesn’t even smell like me yet… I haven’t had a heat yet.  _

_ He remembered I needed to be invited in…  _ “Thank you.” Drac looked around, smiling as he saw the patterned fabric scattered all over the house, tables being the only pieces of furniture he could see.  _ Barely any furniture….  _ He was stunned to be led to a room that was completely a nest, the thought clicking. “....are you an omega?”  _ Oh my god.  _

_ Holy fuck…  _ **_SCOOORE!!_ **

“Say a fucking word about it and I’ll kick your ass out and never let you in again, got it?”  _ I will kick you out if you’re just gonna think about me as something you can toss around because I’m an omega.  _ “I swear if you tell a soul I will make sure you will never be able to have sex ever again.” Terrance grabbed at his shirt, looking at him with hazy eyes.  _ He looks surprised, but he probably is…  _

Drac snapped out of it, chuckling faintly and kissing Terrance’s cheek. “I won’t tell a soul… don’t worry.” Drac held onto Terrance, stepping into the nest with him and slowly bringing them down to push him onto his back, his touch light as he moved to mouth at his neck. “Don’t worry, I won’t bite….”  _ I promise.  _

Terrance couldn’t help but purr as he was settled down and almost pinned. He tensed as Drac mouthed at his neck, slowly relaxing. “Hmm, I might want you to, but you’re not allowed to drink too much, Okay?” He giggled a bit, turning his head to kiss at Drac’s sharp jaw.  _ Fuck, he’s hot…. I hope he has abs, and a big dick….  _

Drac could hear his thoughts through the close contact, chuckling softly. “I promise, I have both…” His hands slowly moved over Terrance’s front, gently tugging at the hem of his shirt. “May I undress you?”  _ Please? _

Terrance nodded. “Don’t say anything about the bandages, okay?” His voice was soft as he reached up to cup Drac’s jaw.  _ Fuck he looks really good… Pornstar better know how to use his big dick... _

 

Drac rested a hand over the one on his cheek, looking down to his arm. “....please…. let me heal you. I don’t want you thinking about anything else for this besides me…. no pain, nothing….”  _ Please….  _

“J-Just the arms? O-Or everything?”  _ My back is whipped too…  _ Terrance had a heavy blush on his face as he looked up to Drac’s darker red eyes.  _ He looks really nice…  _

“I’ll heal everything…. I’ll fix it all….” Drac reached to undo the pin holding the bandages in place, unwinding them slowly with permission, turning over his arm and watching the bandages fall away to reveal many many gashes on the soft flesh of his inner arm.  _ Oh my god….  _ Drac held his arm gently, watching as the wounds slowly closed.  _ I’ll fix it….. I’ll fix all of it….  _

Terrance watched entranced as the wounds slowly began to heal on his arm. “Y-You’re gonna have to take my shirt off for the rest…. it goes across my left arm to my back……”  _ My whole back is whipped…  _

Drac looked hurt as he heard that, pulling Terrance’s shirt off and carefully unwrapping his entire torso, gently turning him over.  _ Your back…. oh my god….  _ Drac gently touched his back, anger beginning to fill him as he healed his back, leaning down to kiss his shoulder blade. “....who did this to you…..” **_Who. I’ll kill them._ **

Terrance froze as he heard Drac’s words, swallowing thickly and shaking his head. “It’s…. it’s complicated…. b-but I’m away from them…”  _ I’m far far away from them…. they won’t look for me… I feel bad for Tim, but I couldn’t take it anymore…. _

“Okay….. I’m sorry….” Drac kissed across his shoulders, his hands gliding down to his hips, chuckling as Terrance jumped a bit before relaxing. “Don’t worry, I’ve got you….”  _ It’s okay.  _

“You know how to stretch someone out, right?”  _ I need to make sure, you’re gonna have to… I haven’t had anything in a long time…  _ He purred as Drac’s hands ran up and down his sides, no pain to distract from the gentle touch.  _ This… This was a good idea. It doesn’t hurt anymore…  _

“Of course….” Drac’s hands moved to the hem of his pants, undoing the button and continuing to undress him, smiling softly as Terrance was finally nude, admiring the omega for a long moment. “....you’re so handsome….”  _ Nice ass…. _

_ That is a  _ **_fine_ ** _ booty…. _

_ I know, right?  _ Drac turned Terrance over, letting the sheet hide him for the moment, going to undress himself, taking off his gloves and tie, everything.  _ It’s only fair….  _

Terrance watched with shaded eyes as Drac slowly stripped down, purring as he saw the toned muscle under his skin and barely any hair anywhere on him. His eyes trailed down as his pants fell to the floor gasping a bit.  _ Oh that…. now  _ **_that_ ** _ is a big dick…. I sincerely hope he knows how to use it…  _ He could already feel the warmth pooling in his gut and slick starting to form.  _ Oh fuck this is gonna feel really good, I want him…  _

Drac smiled softly as Terrance stared at him, chuckling. “Interested?” His eyes were shaded as Terrance nodded.  _ Good…  _ He paused as he smelled something sweet, his eyes even darker. “Come here….” Drac reached for Terrance, letting the sheet fall away as he turned him over, gently holding the omega’s cheeks apart and watching a clear drop of fluid roll down his leg. “....you’re slicking for me…? And you’re not even in heat?” Drac moved to lap up the clear fluid, moaning softly at the taste. “....that’s hot…”  _ I want it….  _

Terrance shuddered, letting out a relieved sigh. “Y-Yeah…. you’re still gonna have to…. fuck, stretch me out….” His voice grew higher in pitch as he moaned, Drac’s tongue on his hole like bliss washing over his whole body.  _ Fuck, I want him… I hope it’ll fit, I really hope it does…  _

Drac nodded, kissing his hole. “Of course….” Drac let one hand trail over to his entrance, kissing his cheek as two fingers slowly slipped inside of him, beginning to feel him.  _ So warm… and so, so wet…..  _ “You’re soaked…”  _ I like it….. _

Terrance let out a loud moan as Drac slipped his fingers in. “Y-You did it… y-You’re sexy as  **fuck** …” His face flushed in embarrassment once the words left him.  _ Oh shit I actually said that!  _

Drac chuckled deeply, looking up to the omega’s flushed face. “You’re one to talk… look at you…. you’re  **gorgeous…** ”  _ Holy shit…  _

“I bet I’ll look even better with that massive dick buried inside of me…” Terrance immediately clapped a hand over his mouth, his eyes wide as he was in shock of what he just said. “I-I’m…. I’m so sorry… I didn’t mean….” He trailed off his whole face and neck flushing from embarrassment.  _ I can’t believe I just said that…  _

Drac’s own face flushed, smiling. “I couldn’t agree more….” He reached to take his hands away from his mouth, his voice a velvety purr. “Don’t try to quiet…. I want to hear everything….”  _ I wanna know everything you have to say….  _ He felt around, his fingers gently rubbing deeply inside him.  _ I want you feeling good.  _

Terrance nodded, shifting his hips a bit and spreading out his legs so that it would be easier to feel inside of him. He arched his back a bit, wanting to put his legs over Drac’s shoulders.  _ I really want him to fuck me…  _ “Mmm…. more, I want more…”  _ More fingers… more cock, fuck,  _ **_please_ ** _ …  _

“Of course….” Drac let a third finger enter him, pleased with the amount of slick dripping from him and keeping his fingers slick.  _ Good, good…  _ “You’re doing so well….” He looked over his body, a lustful and appreciative look in his eyes.  _ I like  _ **_everything_ ** _ I see…  _

Terrance purred as he was praised, not even realizing that he produced even more slick after those words.  _ I liked that… I want him to keep doing that. _ He thrived off of Drac’s soft words, squirming when he was easily accepting three fingers and doing the same when four was no longer an issue.  _ I’m doing well…. Alpha’s enjoying this…  _

Drac kept the praise coming, softly murmuring to him and kissing across his chest as he stretched him out.  _ You’re being  _ **_very_ ** _ good for me….  _ “Condoms….?”  _ Where? Do you have some? _

Terrance shook his head. “I’m clean….” His words were soft and high as he let out a very loud moan, Drac’s fingers finally pressing against his sweet spot.  _ Oh fuck…. it feels so good…  _ His small dick was already starting to leak from the pleasure that he was feeling.  _ He didn’t even start yet…  _

Drac sighed softly, his eyes soft. “I’m clean too… but I don’t think I’m ready to be a parent….”  _ I don’t want anything like that to happen… we just met….  _

“I’m not fertile outside of heat, you’re fine… I promise…” He turned himself away from Drac, getting on his knees and presenting his open and dripping hole to him.  _ Please?  _ “Please…. Alpha….”  _ Fuck, that has a wonderful ring to it…  _

Drac looked his figure over with dark eyes. “Alpha, hm?”  _ I could get used to that.  _ Drac moved up behind him, taking firm hold of his cheeks and parting them to look at his entrance, lining up. “My omega…. mine….” He let his tip push against Terrance slowly, smirking as he saw him shuddering at his words and shuddering even harder as he slowly began to slide inside.  _ Fuck…. I want it….  _

“Ngh….. Ha… fuck… fuck, you’re big….” Terrance closed his eyes as he grabbed at the sheets below him, whimpering for a moment before he dissolved into pleased purrs.  _ Alpha’s inside…. all of Alpha’s inside, it feels so good… I’m alpha’s…  _ He purred loudly, his whole body almost vibrating from the pleasure as Drac pulled him close to his body.  _ So good…  _

Drac held him close, kissing and nipping at his neck.  _ I’ll take good care of you….  _ He began moving, his pace steady as he heard Terrance already beginning to loudly moan.  _ Mine… mate…  _

_ Oh my god, this…. this is really fucking good, I hope this isn’t a one night stand…. maybe a two night stand… fuck, I’ll want his cock again.  _ Terrance turned his head to the side, giving Drac full access to his neck. “B-Bite…. don’t…. Hngh, fuck…. take too much…. fuck, you feel so fucking good….” His eyes were dark with lust and carnal desire, warmth pooling in his gut.  _ I like this a lot….  _

Drac’s eyes lit up with want, going to carefully sink his teeth into his neck, slowly lapping up his blood. “.....fuck, you’re delicious…..”  _ Fucking hell, he’s perfect…..  _

_ ….can we keep him? I like this one… a lot…. _

_ I think we can.  _

_ Yay!!!! _

Terrance’s whole body was shaking, tightening around Drac’s impressive cock and purring loudly.  _ I came when he bit me…. oh fuck that felt so fucking good.  _ “B-Bite me again?” 

Drac moaned as Terrance tightened around him, going in again to bite him, his fangs deeply sunk into his flesh.  _ Mine.  _ He slowly drew out to lap up the blood from the wound, whimpering softly as he got closer to finishing.  _ You feel amazing…. oh god…  _

Terrance let out a shrill cry as he was bit again, shaking as a wave of pleasure hit him like a ton of bricks. “F-Fuck…. fuck me please, please Alpha… I want it…”  _ I really really fucking want it… I wanna know what he can do... _

Drac came with a moan at those words, feeling himself swelling up for his omega, smiling breathlessly as Terrance shook harder.  _ So beautiful…..  _ Drac panted, slowly lying them down, holding Terrance firmly on his length, flush to his chest.  _ Mine…..  _

Terrance took a big deep breath in surprise as he felt Drac swell up inside of him. “Oh fuck…. fuck yes, you have a knot…”  _ This…. this is wonderful… oh fuck it feels so good… he’s filling me up with seed too…  _ He couldn’t stop the purrs even if he tried as he laid back against Drac’s chest. “Fuck….” 

Drac chuckled, holding him close.  _ Fuck, you’re wonderful…. _

_ Can I have a turn at the helm? _

_ You scare him away, I kill you.  _

_ I won’t, don’t worry.  _

“Alucard wants his turn at the helm…” Drac kissed Terrance’s cheek, smiling before he felt him and Ali switch places. 

Alucard ran his hand up and down Terrance’s chest, smirking. “......damn….. you’re hot….”  _ I like it.  _

“Oh, so the stranger’s returned I see.” He purred, rubbing his glands against what he could reach on Alucard’s chest.  _ I’m smaller than him… he gets to hold me… I wonder if he’ll fuck me too… really fuck me since I’m really loose…  _

Alucard rolled his eyes, smiling softly as Terrance scented him.  _ Aw…  _ “You smell really sweet… I like it…” Alucard leaned down to lap at his neck, shuddering at the taste. “Fuck, I like it…” He gently licked and sucked at the gland, his voice quiet. “Don’t worry, I’m not going to bond you… I’m not  **that** dumb…. ...but Drac and I have agreed on something…. ...we want to keep you.”  _ At least for a while…. _

Terrance froze at his words.  _ They want to keep me? Like…. like a pet…  _ He whimpered quietly, looking down at three blankets at his side.  _ What do I do? I don’t wanna be a pet, no one’s supposed to know that I’m an omega…  _ His scent ever so slowly soured as he started to panic. 

Alucard’s eyes widened, his hands splaying on his chest. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry if that’s too fast for you, but we both like you and- oh fucking hell, I didn’t mean like a pet, I meant as a boyfriend. I’m sorry, I fucked up the phrasing. We want to be your boyfriend.”  _ Fuck, I fucked that one up.  _

_ We couldn’t have known he’d take it that way. It’s okay.  _

Terrance quieted down, calming as Ali clarified himself.  _ Not at a pet… as a boyfriend?  _ His face flushed in embarrassment. “I-I…. I don’t know….”  _ I wouldn’t have really any way to contact you or anything… I don’t have a phone, you go away on work, pretty god damn sure you’re a pornstar at this point…  _ He shook his head looking down. “I-I don’t th-think that… that that’s a good idea….” 

Alucard was quiet for a moment, gently running his fingers over Terrance’s chest. “......what makes you say that?”  _ Come on, you’re sitting on my knot, how are you saying no?! _

A soft sigh escaped the smaller omega, looking up at the ceiling. “I wasn’t supposed to bring you home in the first place…. this’ll just be a one night stand, that’s it.”  _ Even though he’s perfect, he’ll leave me anyways when he finds out that I’m practically a run away with barely any money and nothing to my name…  _

Alucard went quiet, feeling very strange when Drac suddenly went dead silent in the back of his mind.  _ ….fuck…  _ “...I know you like this…. and you like both of us… but you barely know us… and we barely know you…. but we’d really want to get to know you better… no matter what you might think about yourself.”  _ We would…. come on,  _ **_please…._ **

Terrance shook his head, feeling the knot start to go down already and testing how much he could move.  _ I don’t think this was a good idea…  _ “I’m sorry, but I can’t….” 

Alucard sighed, feeling a quiet whisper in the back of his head. 

_ …..don’t just keep pressuring him…. it won’t work……  _

Alucard moved to gently kiss his shoulder, feeling Terrance slip off of him, gently turning him to look at him. “...one more?”  _ Please….?  _ He gently held onto his waist, trying not to look too forceful. 

Terrance looked at his broad shoulders, nodding, moving to kiss at Ali’s neck. “Yeah…. one more…”  _ I wonder what he’ll do, he’s not Drac…  _

Alucard smiled, one hand gently cupping his cheek and tilting his head, gently kissing down his neck, sucking gently at his gland, smirking as he moaned.  _ Good…  _ Alucard kissed down his chest, his hands going to hold his hips as he lapped at his soft length, helping it harden.  _ There you go….  _ He moved to suck on the tip, starting to bob his head.  _ I want you to feel good… if I do really good, maybe you won’t mind me staying the night….  _

_ And I’ll make him breakfast…. _

_ And maybe he’ll say yes… _

_ I want him to…  _

Terrance moaned softly as Alucard sucked on his length and bobbed his head. “Fuck…”  _ Holy shit he can suck, but it’s my first time having any attention really on my length and it feels weird…  _ He squirmed under the larger vampire, his eyes wide with uncertainty.  _ Feels weird, but still good…  _

Alucard felt Terrance squirming in his hands, coming up and looking up to him. “Feeling okay?”  _ You seem unused to anything like this…. _

Terrance was quiet as Alucard looked over him.  _ It feels really weird, but I don’t want to tell that to him…  _ He looked away and at the blankets in the nest, his neck and face flushed red in embarrassment.  _ It’s really weird that he’s even touching me there…  _

Alucard’s eyes softened, gently kissing at his hip, reaching up to catch his hand. “Hey, it’s okay, you can tell me what you like and don’t like. And you can tell me what you want. I’ll give it to you.”  _ You don’t have to be embarrassed, it’s fine.  _

_ Holy shit. _

_ What? _

_ You’re  _ **_behaving._ **

_ I’m trying to seduce him, no fucking wonder I’m behaving! _

“I-It feels really weird… I’m n-not sure if… if I like it…” He swallowed thickly, almost beginning to curl up into a ball but knowing that if he did he wouldn’t be up for anything else. Terrance slowly shifted under Alucard, hiding his front and spreading his legs, his hole still leaking slick as he looked over his shoulder at him.  _ I…. I’m not sure what to tell him… it feels weird when he does the stuff I’m supposed to do to him... _

“Okay….” Alucard let Terrance flip over, smiling as he saw his hole.  _ Oooh… _ Alucard spread his cheeks, squeezing the round globes. “....mm, your ass is  **perfect.** ” He kissed one of his cheeks, his voice low. “Let me know if you don’t like this, okay?” Alucard kissed down to his entrance, lapping at the clear fluid leaking from him before his tongue began to push inside.  _ I hope you like this…  _

Terrance’s eyes widened as he looked over his shoulder to where Alucard was eating him out. The guttural moan that he let out was a telltale sign of the pleasure coursing through his body.  _ Oh fuck… fuck he’s eating me out… he’s really eating me out…  _ “F-Fuck… Ali….”  _ Fuck it feels great…  _

Alucard’s eyes lit up, thoroughly pleased.  _ Ali? Not stranger…. very good….  _ Alucard worked very intently, pleased as Terrance began to shake from the pleasure, drawing out of him before he could cum, kissing his hips. “Almost…. don’t worry, almost….” Alucard was achingly hard when he finally lined up with Terrance, holding onto his hips and snapping into him.  _ Fuck, he feels good…  _

Terrance let out a loud gasp as Alucard finally entered him. “F-Fuck me Ali…. I want it, I really want it…”  _ I really do, I want everything…  _

Alucard grinned darkly, soon slamming into Terrance, holding him under him.  _ Mine…. fuck, he feels good….  _ He leaned down as he remembered something, his teeth scraping the back of his neck, sinking into the soft flesh there.  _ Fuck, he tastes amazing….  _ He was stunned as Terrance suddenly went limp, his scent flooding the room.  _ Holy fuck….  _ “Feeling good, Terrance?” Alucard chuckled, still steadily moving. 

Terrance purred, nodding and lifting his hips to give Alucard a better angle.  _ It feels really good, whatever he just did… it felt really good…  _ He gasped as he found his prostate, grabbing weakly at the sheets under him, his whole body in a haze of bliss. 

Alucard picked up the pace, moaning as he came closer and closer to cumming, watching with shaded eyes as Terrance shook harder under him when he finally came, his knot swelling up inside of him.  _ I want you to feel  _ **_really_ ** _ good…  _

Terrance cried out in bliss as he finally came, purring loudly as Alucard knotted with him. “Fuck… Ali… holy shit…”  _ fuck that feels amazing.  _ His head laid down on a pillow and his breathing began to slow down.  _ Fuck, I’m tired…  _

Alucard smiled softly, moving to properly lie them down, covering them with a sheet and pressing close to the omega. “I hope you felt good….” He gently kissed his neck, his hands rubbing his chest all over, pleased with the purrs it awarded him. 

Terrance purred louder as he was given attention. “Mhmm….” He closed his eyes as he stayed pressed to Alucard’s chest.  _ Feels wonderful…. Alpha’s still filling me up…  _

Alucard chuckled, keeping him close. “You can sleep…. I won’t go anywhere…”  _ I’m right here. Don’t worry.  _

_  
It didn’t take much longer for Terrance to fall asleep, curled up as Alucard’s little spoon, tied to him and not even shifting when the knot released. He slept right up to the morning, finding his head nestled into the crook of Alucard’s arm, taking in his scent with each breath as his eyes slowly cracked open.  _ Huh? I’m warm? Really warm?  _ He looked at the pale skin he could see, the memory of last night flooding into his head.  _ Oh fuck!  _ He screeched as he scrambled away from the larger vampire and hurriedly covered himself in blankets all the way up to his neck. His bright eyes were wide with shock and fear as Alucard started to move.  _ Fuck fuck fuck! I actually brought him home!? What the fuck was I  _ **_thinking_ ** _!? _ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please Comment:
> 
> I love to hear your thoughts about my writing! Thanks!
> 
> ~Duke


	2. The Morning After

Alucard jolted awake as Terrance screeched, finding himself immediately vetoed. 

 

**_I’ll_ ** _ handle this.  _ Drac sat up, one hand resting in the space between him and Terrance, his voice soft. “Terrance, it’s okay, please don’t panic… ...I really hate to see you so uncomfortable…. if you’d rather just kick me out and be done with it, then I won’t blame you, and I’ll leave… but I hope you’ll at least let me make you breakfast… it’s the least I could do for you…”  _ I’ll take care of you….  _

 

Terrance stared at him with wide eyes, still holding the sheets up to his neck to hide his body. “Th-this was… was a mistake… please get dressed and leave…”  _ He wants to stay…. I can't let him stay! I can’t believe I fucking brought him home.  _ His small body was trembling as he rubbed at his neck and felt the bite marks.  _ Oh my god, I let him bite me too?? What the fuck is wrong with me!? _

 

Drac could see how scared Terrance was, going against his better judgement and reaching for his hand, careful as he brought it to his lips and kissed every knuckle. “I’m so sorry if you didn’t want this… I’m sorry it turned out to be such a rude awakening… I really hope this isn’t the last time I get to see you. We both really like you.”  _ I want to see you again.  _ He looked to his neck, seeing the small wounds left behind. “....do you want me to make those go away? It’ll be like they were never there…”  _ You won’t have anything left. _

 

Terrance was still trembling as he kissed his knuckles.  _ F-fuck… I can’t….  _ He looked down and nodded, looking at his blemish-free skin and knowing that nothing was on his back either.  _ He healed everything….  _ He flinched a bit as Drac reached for his neck but calmed as everything healed up. He kept his eyes on the floor even as Drac pulled away, still shaking horribly. “I-I’m Sorry, I… I shouldn’t have brought…. brought you here…” 

 

“I’m sorry… I thought you were clear-headed enough to decide if you wanted this or not… I’m sorry I was wrong…”  _ Damn….  _ Drac cupped his cheek, softly kissing the corner of his lips. “If you’re still sure you don’t want me to make you anything, I’ll go…. but I'd like to take care of you if you’re okay with that….”  _ I want to….  _

 

“I umm…. I don’t think there’s anything there for making breakfast…”  _ Fuck…. I really fucked up… and he was fucking perfect last night too…  _ He whimpered a bit, looking down in shame, his ears popping into existence and pinning to his head.  _ This is really embarrassing…  _

 

Drac was about to speak when he noticed the ears, reaching up to gently pet them, smiling softly. “......that’s adorable….” Drac saw Terrance’s face shift between multiple emotions very quickly, his voice soft before Terrance could speak. “I won’t tell a soul…. ...and if you want, I’d love to go out to breakfast with you if you want. I want to get to know this handsome stranger better.”  _ I’d like that.  _

 

Terrance nodded and squirmed a bit as he was pet, slowly calming down a bit when Drac hadn’t made a move to hurt him. “C-Can you get d-dressed and w-wait in the f-front r-room?”  _ I wanna clean up... _

 

“Okay. Thank you.” He pecked his cheek, not embarrassed to be nude as he got up and dressed, going to give Terrance privacy. 

 

Terrance stayed curled up in a ball for quite a few minutes before he unfurled and moved to the bathroom to go and clean himself up.  _ I actually made slick outside of heat, fuck, what if he asks me to be his boyfriend again? I really shouldn’t…  _

 

Drac waited patiently in the front room, standing when he saw Terrance turn the corner, smiling as he saw him.  _ A huge hoodie, nice jeans, a beanie….  _ “...you’re so cute…” Drac moved to kiss his forehead, happy. “Shall we?” 

 

“L-Let me grab my wallet.”  _ I should probably have it, I’ll probably pay for my own breakfast…  _ He scampered off for a moment before returning. “Okay, r-ready…” 

 

“Okay. You don’t have to worry about spending a penny, though. I want to buy you breakfast. It’s the least I can do for you.”  _ I want to.  _

 

“O-Oh… Okay…”  _ I wonder where we’re gonna go.  _ He closed the door and locked it behind them looking to his truck. “How far is it?”  _ I don’t know where anything really is yet.  _

 

“There’s this nice little place not far away, maybe seven minutes. I’ll direct you, don’t worry.” It didn’t take long for Drac to get Terrance to the small diner, smiling as they parked. “You’ll like it here- they have the best pancakes.”  _ You’ll like it.  _

 

_ Pancakes? Well, maybe I can have some… it’s not anyone’s birthday though….  _ He was quiet, almost hiding behind the vampire as they went in, peeking around curiously. 

 

Drac let Terrance hide, soon getting them seated at a small booth, accepting a menu and watching Terrance take one as well. “I’d recommend the chocolate chip pancakes because I can’t stop eating anything that has sugar in it, but you can order whatever you like.”  _ Anything.  _

 

Terrance nodded, looking over the many choices.  _ I don’t know what half of this is…  _ He kept to himself as he tried to figure out what he wanted.  _ Maybe some eggs? Eggs are okay…. it’s not anyone’s birthday…. I don't know why you’d want pancakes unless….. _ “It’s…. Is it your birthday?” His voice was small as he looked over the menu and right at him. 

 

Drac was surprised by the question, a bit confused. “No… is having pancakes a birthday thing for you?”  _ That’s the only reason you might ask….  _

 

“Y-Yeah…” Terrance looked down at the menu, a bit dejected. “W-We could only eat them on our birthday…”  _ He must think I’m weird… that wouldn’t surprise me actually…  _

 

“Oh, I’m sorry. If you want to keep pancakes special for your birthday that’s fine, there’s plenty of other things you might like. Whatever sounds good to you.”  _ That’s something I’ve never heard of before… birthday pancakes.  _

 

“I… I think I’ll have an egg…”  _ That’ll be enough for breakfast… it’s what I usually got at home... _

 

“...just an egg? They have eggs and steak, eggs and toast….? Do you want one of those?”  _ You need more than just a single egg... _

 

“J-Just an egg… that’s what we normally got for breakfast…” He looked at him innocently, trying to figure out what he was talking about. “What’s steak?”  _ I don’t know what you mean... _

 

“.....you’re getting steak and eggs. Steak… oh my god.” Drac shook his head, smiling. “I can’t wait to see your reaction. It’s the best thing you’ll ever have.” 

 

Terrance tilted his head to the side a bit, looking at Drac curiously.  _ My reaction? Is it gonna be that good?  _ He nodded, shutting himself up as he closed his menu.  _ So is Drac gonna order for me?  _

 

Drac looked him over, smiling faintly. “....if you really don’t feel comfortable with it, you can just ask for an egg. I won’t make you eat anything you don’t want.”  _ It’s okay.  _

 

“I-I’ll t-try it….” He blushed as Drac smiled at him, unable to contain his own smile.  _ He’s handsome… and really sweet too... _

 

Drac reached across the table to take his hand. “Okay. Do you know what you’d like to drink? Orange juice, coffee?” 

 

“Just water…”  _ Can’t have milk, too expensive to drink…  _ He shuffled around in the seat, quiet as the waitress came, letting Drac take over ordering. 

 

Drac rattled off their order, thinking and adding one more thing onto the end, smiling to Terrance, quietly talking with him before their drinks came back. He pushed a mug and a cup of water over to Terrance, smiling softly. “Have you had hot cocoa before?”  _ You need something nice to drink….  _

 

“N-No…. What is it?”  _ It looks brown… but it looks like it has milk in it too…  _ His ears would’ve perked if they weren’t strapped to his head with the beanie. 

 

“It’s a drink that has chocolate and milk in it, and it’s nice and warm. It’s normally for the winter but it’s really nice. Try it, maybe you’ll like it.”  _ ….how have you never  _ **_had_ ** _ some of these things? _

 

“B-But milk is expensive…. I can’t have it…”  _ Way too expensive….  _ He looked down at the drink with concern.  _ Shit…. What if everything here is really expensive, what are we gonna do? _

 

“....honey, milk isn’t expensive…. it’s actually pretty cheap.” Drac looked at Terrance, the thoughts clicking as he looked him over.  _ He looks so serious… but he also looks so innocent….  _ “...I don’t know if you grew up without much money, but milk isn’t at all expensive… and you don’t have to worry about how much breakfast is going to cost, because it’s not bad here. Please…. Just try it.” Drac nudged the mug a bit closer.  _ Please.  _

 

“B-But… w-why would he lie about it?”  _ I don’t get it… why did Dad lie about all that….  _ Terrance looked hurt as he pulled the mug closer timidly picking it up to take a sip, his eyes closing as he groaned in bliss.  _ It tastes heavenly…  _

 

Drac smiled widely as Terrance finally tasted it, his expression softening. “....I don’t know why they’d say that…. some people worry about money…. and some people want to save money at all costs…. I’m so sorry you haven’t been able to have this stuff until now.”  _ That sucks… _

 

_ Are you fucking kidding me? What kind of childhood can you have without HOT COCOA?!?! _

 

Terrance shrugged holding the mug and sipping from it intermittently. “It’s okay…. I’m away from Dad…. he can’t hurt me anymore….” He closed his eyes as he took another sip, slowly relaxing. 

 

_ ….. _ **_I’M GONNA KILL HIM._ **

 

_ We’ll kill him later.  _ Drac reached over to take one of Terrance’s hands, his voice quiet. “....did your Dad do that…? To your arms and back?” He watched Terrance slowly nod, sighing quietly and rubbing the back of his hand with his thumb. “I’m sorry…. I really am… that’s horrible…” 

 

“I wasn’t working hard enough… I couldn’t pull the plow well enough… I was too small to pull it, Dad didn’t like that…”  _ He always whipped me in my wolf form and he’d beat me and everyone else…. But only Tim’s left now…. And he’s so small, but he’s already bigger than me…  _

 

Drac could hear the thoughts through the contact, looking up to Terrance. “...when we’re done here…. ….do you want me to go get your brother?”  _ I’ll get him….  _

 

Terrance looked up to Drac with surprise before looking down and shaking his head.  _ Dad doesn’t beat him… I don’t have money to feed him.  _ “I…. I don’t think that’s a good idea…. I’d just rather not think about home for awhile…” He pulled his hand back from where Drac held it, picking up the mug with hot chocolate once more and drinking from it. 

 

“...if you’re sure….” Drac nodded, going to sip from his mug of black coffee, looking up as the waitress came back with their food, smiling at Terrance’s expression to see the meat on his plate.  _ They gave you a nice piece.  _ “Cut off a small piece and try it. It’s really good.”  _ Promise.  _

 

_ …..It’s meat… It smells really good… _ He slowly cut a piece , putting it on his fork and taking a bite.  _ Fuck it tastes really fucking good.  _ Terrance let out a soft moan, smiling happily as he cut another smaller piece for himself, looking at the fried eggs as well and taking a piece from them.

 

Drac was very pleased as Terrance ate, digging into his plate himself, finishing everything as Terrance was still picking at his nibbled steak. “Not used to eating so much, I take it?”

 

“The most I’ve ever eaten was two eggs, because Tim was too sick to eat his egg, so I got to eat it…” His words were honest as he sipped at his mug, already feeling full from eating an entire egg. “Their eggs are much bigger here…” 

 

“.....honey, you’re allowed to eat much more than just one egg now… most people need at least two… wait until you see the size of the plates of food people have for dinner.” Drac smiled, sipping his coffee as the check was dropped off.  _ I’ll pay.  _

 

“I’ll have a carrot for dinner tonight if I can find one…”  _ We’re not on the farm, I can’t go out and pick my dinner…. _

 

_ …..a single fucking carrot.  _

 

_ Ali…. _

 

_ ……...I’m gonna kill him.  _

 

_ Alucard- _

 

_ I’m gonna kill his Dad and you won’t  _ **_fucking_ ** _ stop me! _

 

_ Calm the fuck down for right now, you don’t get to do that just yet!  _ “...you can’t be living on so little food…. you need more than that…”  _ You can’t live like that.  _ “....have you ever been in a grocery store?” 

 

“What’s a grocery store?” His eyes were soft as he squirmed in his seat, curling up and pulling his knees to his chest, easily able to do so.  _ I don’t know what that is... _

 

“....we’ll go after this.” Drac picked up the bill and tucked some bills inside, setting it down. “Are you done? We can go whenever you’re ready.” 

 

He nodded, looking at the big piece of meat. “Can we take it home?”  _ It’ll last me at least two weeks! _

 

“Of course.” Drac caught their waitress’ eye and asked for a box for their food, getting the steak all boxed up for him. “Finished with everything? You can’t take your cocoa home, so finish it if you have room.” 

 

Terrance looks disappointed, looking down to the mug and looking at what was left.  _ But it’s so good…. I wanna take it too….  _ He lifted the mug to take a sip, barely able to swallow it.  _ Too much… don’t like.  _ Terrance settled the mug down shaking his head.  _ No more, don’t want anymore.  _

 

“That’s fine, we can go. When we’re at the store, we’ll get you the stuff to make that at home.”  _ You can have it again.  _ Drac stood up with him, taking the box and walking out to the truck with Terrance. “Okay, ready for me to direct you to the store?”

 

Terrance nodded and started to back up he truck, making sure not to hit anyone.  _ I don't know where we’re going….  _ He let Alucard direct him, looking at the massive amount of cars in front of the large building.  _ What is this place?  _

 

Drac made sure Terrance parked before getting out, letting him cling to his arm as they walked up to the store. “Just stay close to me so I don’t lose you. This store is huge… and contains an enormous amount of food you could buy.”  _ Fooooood.  _

 

“What kind of food?”  _ I don’t know what there is?  _ Terrance held onto Drac’s arm, trying to take in everything as they entered the store.  _ It’s called Wegmans? It’s huge…  _ His eyes were huge as he followed Drac into the produce section. “Does the store have a farm?” 

 

“The store gets the food from farms, yes. But there isn’t a farm right next to the store. They have the farmers drive the produce over from farms kinda far away.”  _ Holy shit…. you’ve never been in a grocery store before….  _

 

“Oh…. Okay…” His voice was soft as he let go of Drac’s shirt, not realizing the taller man walked away while he walked towards the apple stand.  _ Apples? I like apples… can I has?  _

 

Drac was sure the omega was following him as he meandered towards a stand of fruit, turning to speak, surprised when he was gone.  _ Shit.  _ He looked around, stunned to see Terrance happily eating an apple.  _ Oh my.  _ “Terrance, honey….” Drac hurried back, stopping him. “You need to pay for that… here. Do you like that kind of apple?” He watched him nod. “Okay. I’ll get you some. Here.” Drac reached for a bag, opening it up. “Put in however many you want plus one. We’ll take one out after to make up for the one you’re eating.”  _ We’ll let the cashier know when we get to the checkout if they see the weights don’t match.  _

 

“R-Really? O-Okay…” He continued munching on the apple he had, eating the whole thing, core and all. Terrance grabbed 9 apples and put them in the bag.  _ The 8 will last me a week!  _

 

Drac smiled, bringing him over to weigh the bag, letting him press the buttons and take out the ninth when the sticker was printed. “Alright. I’m going to get a basket- don’t move. I can’t be losing track of you again.”  _ Nope.  _

 

Terrance looked around him, looking at the flower section and moving to go smell them.  _ I like them they’re really pretty. Really really pretty…  _ He smiled softly, gently touching one of the flowers and giggling at how soft the petal was.  _ I like it. Oh it smells really good…  _ Terrance turned around and saw the bakery, watching one of the workers take out a batch of freshly made bread, watching with fascination.  _  Bread? He’s making bread?  _

 

Drac wasn’t gone for more than twenty seconds, sighing when he saw Terrance was gone.  _ Of course. He’s off wandering.  _

 

_ Can you blame him? He’s curious and surrounded by food. He has a good reason to wander.  _

 

_ Point.  _ Drac looked around, peering down aisles, sighing in relief when he spotted him watching the workers making bread.  _ There he is.  _ “There you are. ...do you want bread too?”  _ They make it well here.  _

 

Terrance looked at him with confusion. “Why do they make it here? Aren’t you supposed to make it at home? I make it at home…”  _ I don’t get it…  _

 

“Of course people make their own. But most people buy it from the store. They bake it fresh every day and you can buy one of those, or there’s an aisle full of different kinds of bread. Wanna look there first before you try to pick anything?” 

 

He nodded, holding onto him as he was taken to the aisle. “These are all different kinds of bread?”  _ There’s different kinds? _

 

“There are a lot of different kinds, yes. But there are a lot of big companies that make a lot of different kinds. Almost all the companies here make white bread, some make whole wheat, some make bread with blueberries, and some with raisins. Some make them into bagels. There are plenty of options.”  _ Lots.  _

 

“What are bagels? And com…. Companties?” Terrance was quiet as he looked up to Drac, not sure what to think.  _ What are those things? I don’t know what they are…  _

 

Drac chuckled, keeping Terrance close. “Companies are these big things that are pretty much a bunch of people that do something. Some companies make bread, some make a lot of foods. Some grow stuff, and some build the shelves you put it on. There are a lot of things they could do. And bagels are like bread, but they’re circles with a hole cut out in the middle. You can put them in this thing called a toaster to warm them up and make it crunchy.”

 

_ How the fuck has he never heard of bagels?!  _

 

“What’s a toaster?” 

 

It was a very long trip to the grocery store, Drac doing his best to answer Terrance’s questions, leaving the store with bags full of apples, bread, eggs and milk, as well as some baking ingredients that Terrance had actually recognized.  _ He’s never heard of any of this stuff…  _ It was a quiet drive, enjoying the other’s presence, Drac’s eyes widening as he saw the sign on the side of the house, the letters huge and bold. 

 

_ …..the house is foreclosed? _

 

_ But he just moved here! _

 

_ ……...Drac. We both know he must’ve just broken in.  _

 

_ …….fuck it.  _ “Terrance, is this your house? Did you buy it?” Drac looked to him seriously. 

 

“It was empty… and the door was open… and there were keys inside… so I stayed… was I not supposed to?” Terrance looked at him innocently. “Was I not supposed to?”  _ I thought that’s what the sign meant?  _

 

“....the house doesn’t belong to you… you can’t stay there. And I suppose this isn’t your truck either.” He watched Terrance shake his head. “....honey, let’s get your stuff together inside, okay? ...I’ll take you home.”  _ You need someplace nice to stay…  _

 

Terrance nodded, hopping out and opening the door and going to get his nest together along with all his quilting supplies, everything fitting into two small boxes.  _ This is all mine… I don’t have any more…  _ “I thought I could stay here though…. the house was open.”

 

Drac came inside to help, smiling as his beanie came off, his ears flicking. 

 

_ He’s so fucking cute….. get him home!! _

 

_ I will, calm down!  _ Drac helped Terrance take the boxes to the front of the house, thinking.  _ We can’t take the truck, it’s stolen….  _ “I’ll see if I can get a friend to retrieve us….” _ Lathe likes me, he’ll come if he knows it’s Drac.  _

 

_ Fuck you.  _

 

_ Dude, are you aware of all the sexual harassment? _

 

_ …...point.  _

 

“Oh…. Okay… I’m-I’m sorry…” He looked down, feeling his face heat up in shame.  _ I did something wrong, I did something really wrong…  _

 

Drac looked to him and immediately pulled Terrance into his arms, gently rubbing his back. “Hey, it’s okay… you didn’t know any better. It’s all easily fixable. We’ll just leave this stuff here and you can live with me for a while. You just need to be somewhere safe.”  _ I want you taken care of….  _

 

Terrance sniffled, a few tears rolling down his cheeks as he shook. “O-Okay… who…. who are you c-calling?”  _ I don’t know anyone…  _

 

“I’m calling my good friend Lathe, he lives across the street from me. He’s really nice, I promise.”  _ You don’t have to worry.  _ Drac held onto him while he made the call, trying to keep Terrance calm until Lathe showed up. 

 

Lathe pulled up to the foreclosed home not much later, a bit confused.  _ I’m not gonna ask why they’re here.  _ He knocked on the front door, his attention going to Terrance the second the door was opened.  _ ….oh my god, he’s a werewolf. ….and he smells like an omega…? And he’s upset! Nooo!  _ “Oh no, honey, are you okay?” Lathe immediately shuffled over and gave Terrance a hug, going to pet him. “Don’t be upset, it’s okay!” 

 

Terrance slowly relaxed as he was hugged, taking in Lathe’s scent and recognizing him as an omega of his own species.  _ He’s… he’s nice…  _ He relaxed, his scent soon clearing up and barely noticeable like the rest of the house.  _ I’ll be okay, they’re okay…  _ His ears were perked as he looked up to Lathe, much shorter than the lanky omega.  _ He’s tall... _

 

Lathe smiled to the omega, noticing his curious look and letting his ears pop into existence, smiling. “Hi! I know, I’m tall for what I am. But it’s nice to see someone else like me. Are you ready to go?” Lathe’s eyes were bright.  _ He’s soooo cute!!  _

 

“A-Are w-we?” His voice was tiny as his ears went down to pin against his head, shaking as he looked up to Drac.  _ This isn’t going how I wanted it to… I don’t like this… but, but I’ll be safe right? He’s not gonna do anything weird…  _ Terrance would’ve tucked his tail if his tail was out, but instead looked at the two small boxes of his things.  _ There’s more food in the bags…  _

 

“...honey? What’s wrong?” Lathe looked between him and Drac, sheepishly smiling. “.....can you give us a minute, maybe?”  _ He looks terrified…..  _ He watched him nod and leave, turning back to Terrace. “....what’s wrong? You can tell me.”  _ It’s okay.  _

 

Terrance shut himself up, looking down his face hot as his ears stayed flat against his head.  _ I don’t wanna say….  _ He shook his head, picking it up only a bit to look at Drac and where he stood outside of the house towards the large car.  _ He’s putting the food in the car.  _ Terrance looked down and twiddled with his thumbs. “I-I’m s-sorry y-you had to c-come get us….”  _ Drac isn’t gonna keep me…. Should I even bother sending my brothers and sisters letters?  _

 

“It’s okay…..” Lathe moved to gently hug the omega, his calming scent filling the air around them. “If you’re going to be living with Drac and Alucard, I know you’re going to be safe… and if you’re worried about it, I’m always going to be right across the street. I’ll be there if you need me.”  _ We should stick together. _

 

Terrance sniffled and nodded. “O-Okay…” He quieted down, picking up his small boxes easily and heading towards the door, looking back at the keys on one of the tables.  _ I’ll leave it…  _ He shook his head a bit, trying to clear it as he looked to the car, Drac leaning against it. Terrance couldn’t help the tremors that wracked through his body as he took slow steps to the car with his ears almost blending in with his dark hair against his head. 

 

Drac held out a hand to Terrance as he was led to the car with Lathe, letting him put the boxes in the back and get in, deciding to let him have space and getting into the front seat.  _ ….he’s scared.  _

 

Terrance got into the car, curling up a bit as he buckled.  _ What if he’s gonna kill me?  _ He held onto his knees, trying not to freak out as the car started to move.  _ We’re leaving and going to Drac’s house… Fuck this is a bad idea… I shouldn’t have brought him home, I don’t…. I don’t know if this is safe…  _ He swallowed thickly, looking out the window as they stopped, looking at the front lawns of the houses down the street.  _ Big houses… Drac lives here?  _

 

Drac got out as Lathe parked, smiling. “Thank you, really.” 

 

“It was nothing. You two should come over for dinner tonight- I want to get to know…. oh my god, I don’t even know his name.” Lathe looked over to Terrance as he got out of the car slowly, smiling. “What’s your name, Hun? I’m sorry I forgot to ask earlier.” 

 

Terrance looked up at Lathe, shaking his head and looking down to twiddle his thumbs.  _ I can’t go over for dinner, I’ll eat my carrot…  _ He looked at the back of the car, wanting to get his boxes out.  _ I want a nest… but, but what if he doesn’t let me make a nest.  _ His lips began to quiver incessantly, his face growing hot once more. 

 

Lathe looked helpless as Terrance started to cry, thinking quickly. “....honey? Do you want me to help you make a nest?”  _ You need a nest….  _ “I have a lot of stuff you could use to make one…”  _ You’ll feel better with a nest….  _

 

Terrance looked to Drac with tears in his eyes before looking down in slight fear. “Can… Can I m-make a n-nest?”  _ I wanna make a nest, I want my own nest, b-but it’s not my home… I wanna have an actual nest, will he let me?  _

 

“Of course you can have a nest, we’ll get you a room all to yourself. You can fill it with whatever you want, and keep it all to yourself if that’s what you want. I want you to be comfortable. And I know nests are important.”  _ Knowing Lathe has educated me on this sort of stuff.  _

 

“Th-thank y-you…” Terrance stuttered as he looked to his small boxes. “M-my n-nesting s-stuff is… is in th-those b-boxes…”  _ I don’t know how to get them… does the back open up?  _

 

“Okay. How about we go over and see what we can make with it before we get you new stuff, okay?”  _ Those boxes are  _ **_tiny…_ ** Lathe walked with Terrance and Drac over to the house across the street, letting Drac lead them to one of the unused rooms of the house, stunned as he watched Terrance pull out his nesting material.  _ Oh my god.  _ “......honey, we’re going shopping.”  _ You need nesting stuff!!  _

 

Terrance looked at Lathe with confusion. “But we already went to the gross store?”  _ Why go shopping again?  _ He settled himself down into the really thin blankets, slowly calming down with what he had.  _ I have my nest again…  _

 

“......the grocery store?”  _ I saw the bags…. oh.  _ “We can go to the fabric store, honey. I get discounts because I teach some classes on sewing there. You deserve to have a lot more blankets and soft things here than you do. We can get you a much bigger nest of you want.”  _ The store throws discounts at me like they’re trying to go bankrupt.  _

 

“B-Bigger nest?”  _ That’s… that’s possible? I didn’t know you could have a bigger nest, I’ve had this nest since I was 10… _ He looked over towards Drac as he stood in the doorway.  _ Is he gonna come with us? Or is he gonna stay here?  _

 

Drac smiled softly, trying not to look imposing. “If you’d rather only go with Lathe, that’s completely fine. You can have space. I know this is a really sudden change. Whatever makes you comfortable.”  _ You need a good nest… and I really don’t want you to be upset.  _

 

_ He looks like a scared puppy… fuck, Lathe better fix it….  _

 

Terrance nodded, moving to shift, turning into a much much smaller wolf than he should be at his age.  _ I’ll go with Lathe…  _ He timidly approached the older Omega before sitting down behind him, looking up at Drac and whining softly, his ears flattening against his head.  _ I’ll be back for dinner… promise…  _

 

“He said he’ll be back for dinner…”

 

“You two come back when you’re good and ready. And if things take a while, that’s fine. Take as long as you want.” 

 

_ He looks so  _ **_small…_ **

 

Lathe looked down to the werewolf, reaching to gently pet them.  _ Honey….  _ Lathe decided to shift as well, nosing them gently.  _ Don’t be worried. Drac is the nicest guy I’ve ever met. Alucard is a bit of a toss up, but Drac is amazing. Don’t worry.  _ Lathe tried not to look intimidating, mostly a ball of floof anyway.

 

_ Do…. do we have to go? My nest can’t get much bigger can it? It’s already really big…. and it has a mattress too…  _ He settled himself down as Drac left down the hall, his ears slowly starting to perk. 

 

_ Your nest can be a lot bigger…. do you wanna see mine? I’m really proud of it.  _ Lathe nudged the omega gently, coaxing him to stand and come downstairs, shifting to open the front door and go across the street, getting them inside before shifting again.  _ Come on, over here.  _ Lathe trotted up the stairs and to his room, leaping into the huge nest that took over the entire room.  _ And I have two other little nests downstairs…. you can have really big nests. …..you can come in if you want. Make yourself at home! _

 

Terrance froze when he saw how big the nest was, sniffing it cautiously before timidly hopping in.  _ It’s really really big… I can make my nest this big? _ His tail slowly uncurled from under him, sniffing around a bit more and taking in Lathe’s happy and relaxed scent. 

 

_ You can. The store I work at throws a lot of coupons at me, which pretty much means everything costs a lot less for me. I’d love to help you make a nice big nest.  _ Lathe was pleased as Terrance relaxed in his nest, happy when they were both soon happily rolling around in the blankets.  _ You can have one like this if you want. You can pick the colors, the fabric, everything!  _

 

Terrance nodded, slowly shifting into his human form and ending up with a pillow in his lap, his hair all over the place and his ears missing.  _ I can have a bigger nest?  _

 

Lathe shifted as well, his hair in his face, both of them soon giggling at how silly they were being. “Okay, I’m ready to go whenever you are, honey.” Lathe got up, helping him out of the nest.  _ You’ll love your nest when it’s finally filled with stuff.  _

 

Terrance nodded and held onto Lathe’s shirt, nodding and following him to the car.  _ Bigger nest.  _ They were in the store for close to two hours, getting different blankets and materials as well as stuffing for pillows and wool to make more blankets. When the two of them finally filled up three carts worth they got it all in the car and made Drac help carry everything. Terrance got started on organizing his nest as well as covering everything in his barely noticeable scent.  _ I like this a lot…  _

 

Lathe was ecstatic to see how happy Terrance was surrounded by his new nesting materials.  _ I’m so glad he’s happy.  _ Lathe ruffled Terrance’s hair, smiling softly. “You know where to find me if you need me, honey. I’ll see you soon, okay?” Lathe left, leaving them alone.  _ You’ll be okay.  _

 

Terrance looked up to Drac with big doe eyes and a pillow in his lap. “Y-You can go for dinner at…. at his house…. I’ll, I’ll eat a carrot…”  _ I know we got carrots, and I really like the carrots we got... _

 

“No, it’s okay. Lathe and I agreed that we’ll all get together to have dinner once you’re settled in. But I know that if you ate next to nothing Lathe and his kids wouldn’t think you were strange or anything. They’d be okay with it.”  _ He texted me, but I don’t know if I can explain what texting is yet.  _

 

Terrance nodded, playing with a tassel on the pillow. “Wh-What now?”  _ Should I write to my brothers and sisters? Probably not, what if I move again?  _ He twiddled his thumbs, trying figure out what to do next.  _ I’m not sure what…. what I should be doing…  _

 

“....can I come in the nest?”  _ Am I allowed? _

 

Terrance looked at his feet, seeing that his shoes were off before he nodded. _ Yeah, he can come in.  _ He was shy as Drac slowly came closer, holding onto his pillow as he sat down a few feet away.  _ I don’t know what’s doing... _

 

Drac stepped into the nest, looking over to Terrance and smiling softly, looking around the space. “It’s coming together very nicely…it’s pretty.” 

 

Terrance blushed, smiling softly and grabbing his toes, his knees holding the pillow to his chest.  _ He thinks it’s pretty, Alpha thinks it’s pretty…  _ His whole face was flushed as he looked up to Drac, studying his features.  _ He’s really hot... _

 

Drac looked to Terrance with soft eyes, slowly coming closer, his arms outstretched to him. “Can I hold you?”  _ I want to.  _

 

_ He’s so damn cute… _

 

_ Hold?  _ Terrance nodded, slowly inching forward, towards Drac.  _ He’ll be gentle right?  _

 

Drac gathered the omega up in his arms, letting him lean into him as a hand went to card through his hair, gently petting him.  _ This is nice….  _ He smiled as Terrance began to purr, kissing the top of his head.  _ Fuck, he’s adorable….  _

 

Terrance let Drac pet him, purring, and soon enough his ears coming into existence and perking up.  _ He’s being really gentle… does he want blood? He probably wants blood…  _ His eyes were a little worried as he slowly took off his hoodie and looked at the large shirt he was wearing and fiddling with the hem.  _ I should probably take it off, but it’ll be embarrassing... _

 

“....Terrance? You don’t have to do that if you don’t want to…..” Drac gently rubbed his back. “You don’t have to think I just want sex, or blood, or anything. It’s okay.”  _ Just cuddles for right now is okay.  _

 

_ I mean, I could go for a fuck, but we actually can’t scare this one off.  _

 

_ Nope.  _

  
Terrance nodded and curled up to him, dozing off after a few minutes.  _ He doesn’t want it… okay…  _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please Comment:
> 
> I love to hear your thoughts about my writing! Thanks!
> 
> ~Duke


	3. The Fifth Heat

_ He’s been gone for a long time… it’s almost been four months... _ Terrance could feel the ache that was settling into his system, trying not to let any of his scent permeate the rest of the house.  _ This’ll be the fifth heat he’ll never see… he’s always been gone for my heats, which is good because then I can just lock the doors and hope no one ever finds out.  _ He meandered to the kitchen, grabbing the snacks that he hoarded before Alucard had to leave, bringing them upstairs.  _ It gets lonely in the house, it gets really really quiet, and Drac’s scent doesn’t linger… I don’t like opening the window, that damned Alpha across the street keeps scenting his house and it blows right in through the windows! It smells absolutely horrid and it overpowers everything! Even my scent!  _ He grumbled, his heat fogging up his head and his thoughts.  _ Just need to get a case of water then I can strip and shift and then sleep it off, or try to… I hope the cramps aren’t as bad as the last time... _

 

A sleek black car drove down the street, Alucard sighing as he finally parked in the driveway.  _ Fucking finally, we’re  _ **_home._ **

 

_ I mean, France was nice, but- _

 

_ It’s fucking  _ **_France_ ** _ , it sucked once you got over the initial charm of the place and your first taxi driver scams you out of nearly 100 euro.  _ Alucard got out, meandering up to the front door and opening it up.  _...he’s not on the couch.  _ “Terrance?” Alucard did a quick sweep of the first floor.  _ Huh. Not here.  _

 

_ Upstairs? _

 

He went up to check Terrance’s room, surprised to see the door closed.  _ Huh.  _ “Terrance? I’m home…. can you open up?”  _ You don’t like me barging into your nesting room.  _

 

Terrance picked his head up, squirming and looking around at all the slick covered blankets he’d laid out.  _ No, he can’t come in.  _ He whined, his trail almost across his back to try and keep it as slick free as possible.  _ I’m making a lot of slick already…  _ His whimpers could be heard through the door as the first wave of cramps settled in with no Alpha in sight.  _ They’re worse than last time... _

 

“......Terrance?”

 

_ ….you know…. it’s about that time….. _

 

_ You’re shitting me.  _

 

_ You can smell it too, can’t you? A bit sweet? _

 

_ …….fuck.  _ “.....Terrance? Can I please come in? I want to help you…. if it’s okay with you.”  _ Please.  _

 

_ No…. he can’t come in… I can’t let him in…  _ He whined, shifting and curling up around himself, trying to make the cramps go away but unable to do so.  _ Fuck, it hurts…  _

 

_ …..fuck it, I can’t stand that sound….  _ Alucard moved to get the spare key, slowly unlocking the door. “....Terrance, honey, I’m going to open the door…. don’t worry, I won’t come in unless you’re okay with it.” He slowly opened the door a crack, being hit with the sweet scent, kneeling as he saw Terrance curled up in pain. “.....I’m home…. ….honey, I don’t like seeing you hurting so badly…. can I help you?”  _ I don’t like that fucking sound of pain, I  _ **_hate_ ** _ it! _

 

Terrance pinned his ears to his head, his fluffy tail damp in most places from the massive amount of slick he was trying to produce.  _ He can’t help, he’s not supposed to be home… he’s supposed to be gone.  _ He let out a pained cry as it felt like he was being stabbed from the cramps.  _ Fuck…  _

 

Alucard slowly crept into the nest, seeing Terrance’s look. “It’s okay, don’t worry…. don’t freak out, okay?” He was soon close enough to cup his cheek, seeing him relax at the touch. “It’s just me…. it’s okay.” Alucard let one wrist gently rub against the swollen gland on his neck, smiling as Terrance’s pained whimpers started to quiet.  _ Thank fuck, it’s working…. …..fuck, he’s gorgeous….  _

 

Terrance’s eyes were shaded as he slowly relaxed into a puddle of soft purrs as Alucard rubbed his wrist against his heavily swollen glands.  _ They’re really swollen, and they all hurt…  _ He whimpered quietly when another rush of slick decided to escape from him, causing his scent to increase due to Alucard’s presence. _ He’s…. if he does anything it’ll be really bad… I’m not on birth control… and I can’t… I won’t stand a condom... _

 

Alucard smirked as he melted, thinking.  _ …..hm.  _

 

_ What’re you thinking? _

 

_ Things.  _ Alucard pushed Drac back in his head, getting up. “I’ll be right back, love.” After five or so minutes, Alucard sat back on his haunches to look over his work, smirking.  _ Oh, Drac? _

 

_ What the fuck did you do? _

 

_ Oh nothing, just a little something for scoring us our prize…. and you know anyway that I prefer to watch.  _ Alucard forced them to switch, sitting back. 

 

Drac blinked, looking down to the leash he held, his eyes wide as he saw Terrance with a collar around his throat, a small golden tag dangling from it.  _ Daddy’s Little Puppy…. Alucard, you’re horrible.  _

 

_ You love it.  _

 

_ I do.  _ Drac smirked as he saw the pile of toys nearby, leaning down to kiss Terrance softly. “You look  **perfect,** Terrance…. I  **love** it…..”  _ For an asshole, you give good gifts.  _

 

**_Thank_ ** _ you.  _

 

Terrance purred as he was praised, moving to grab at Drac’s clothes. He was on all fours, his hole leaking profusely as his tail laid across his back.  _ Is Alpha gonna knot me? Alpha wants me, right?  _

 

Drac immediately began to strip as Terrance whined, soon finding himself nude.  _ Wait- _

 

_ Dude, I’m not about to let you get him pregnant. No pups. _

 

_ Yet.  _

 

_ ……...fine. Yet.  _

 

_ Thank you.  _ Drac cupped Terrance’s cheeks, his voice soft. “I don’t want to get you pregnant…. neither of us are ready for that…. but I want to be here, and I’ll do whatever you want…. we have plenty of toys to keep you  **more** than happy.”  _ You’ll be okay.  _ Drac kissed his cheek, rubbing his neck.  _ It’s okay.  _

 

Terrance whined, pawing at Drac. “Want Alpha’s knot… Want Alpha’s knot now…”  _ I want it… I really want it.  _ Drac’s subtle scent was already throwing everything off for him, his thoughts hazy and his eyes blown in lust. He moved to settle himself in Drac’s lap, trying to seat himself on his massive cock.  _ Want it… want Alpha’s knot…  _

 

Drac was stunned as his lap was suddenly full of omega, trying to restrain himself, gently moving him onto all fours, facing away from him. “Here, love….” He had Terrance’s back arch, kissing a cheek as he was presented with his ass, reaching for a knotting toy.  _ You never use these…. but you’d love them….  _ Drac let the tip of it gently brush Terrance’s entrance, not needing much more coaxing before slowly pushing in.  _ Whatever you want.  _

 

Terrance’s eyes blew wide, his whole body shaking as he came once the toy was fully seated inside of him, not even realizing that it wasn’t Drac. “Alpha…. oh, fuck me Alpha, please, please, want your knot…”  _ I want it… I really want it... _

 

Drac smiled as he watched Terrance cum, letting the toy slide nearly out of him before thrusting it back in, beginning a deliciously brutal pace, his own length throbbing.  _ Fuck…..  _

 

Terrance was crying out for a whole different reason. “Fuck so good! A-Alpha please! Please more…” He cried out as Drac finally found his prostate with the toy, gripping the blankets and sheets under him weakly.  _ It feels so good, so much better than just feeling cramps... _

 

Drac wasn’t about to stop, aching as Terrance moaned and shook.  _ Fuck, he’s hot…..  _ Drac watched Terrance shake as he came again, one hand going to his own length, cumming as he made the toy swell inside the omega.  _ Oh fuck….. fuck…..  _

 

Terrance mewled, purring as he was left with a knot.  _ Alpha knotted me…. but Alpha’s not filling me up?  _ He was confused, looking behind him and seeing Drac jerking off. The omega let out a very confused whine, wanting to be held properly.  _ Want Alpha’s cock, and his seed... _

 

Drac saw Terrance’s look, his expression changing as warmth flooded him. “Terrance, honey, I don’t want you to get pregnant-”

 

_ ….you know, we have a douche….  _

 

_ We do? _

 

_ Mhm. I’m a kinky bitch that does shit right. Of  _ **_course_ ** _ we have one. Give him what he wants, and you can clean up the mess. And he’s a male omega… him getting pregnant probably won’t happen. We’ll get him birth control next time anyway though.  _

 

Drac looked up to Terrance, letting the cock shrink again, setting it aside. “I’m sorry…. let me fix it….” Drac moved to lap up the slick running from Terrance’s hole, tasting the sweetness.  _ I need to recharge.  _

 

_ Give it like five minutes.  _

 

Terrance gasped in happiness as he was being eaten out.  _ Fuck it feels really really good.  _ “Alpha… Alpha, want knot… want seed…”  _ It helps, I want the pain to go away…  _ “Alpha please…” His voice was cracking as he practically begged him, pushing himself against Drac’s tongue.  _ Need mate… need mate’s knot... _

 

Drac finally drew away when he felt himself hardening, rising up and not hesitating before pushing into him, beginning a brutal pace.  _ He’s so hot and wet….. fuck….  _

 

“A-Alpha… f-fuck, fuck yes…” He leaned his head o the side, showing off his collar.  _ Fuck I want it, I really fucking want it, want it really bad…  _ Terrance clung to the sheets below him, crying out in bliss and cumming as Drac found his sweet spot. He could barely keep in any of the lewd sounds he was making.  _ Fuck I really want Alpha to feel good and to fill me up…  _

 

Drac was still insanely sensitive, gasping and cumming deeply into him, shaking.  _ Fuck….  _ “Oh my god….. Terrance….” He swelled up inside of him, moving to press closer to him and lie down, kissing all over his cheeks.  _ That’s  _ **_wonderful…_ **

 

Terrance purred happily. “Fuck…. all full with Alpha’s seed… all full…”  _ I like this… I  _ **_really_ ** _ like this…  _ He nuzzled into Drac’s chest, rubbing his swollen glands against all the bare skin he could, even with the collar restricting some of the movement.  _ I like this…  _

 

Drac smiled, kissing at Terrance’s neck, reaching to undo the collar, tossing it aside for better access to his glands, gently lapping at them.  _ He tastes delicious…. _ “You’re so warm…. I like it….” 

 

Terrance purred, looking up to Drac and tilting his head to the side to give him full access to his neck.  _ I want Alpha to make me his… I want Alpha’s mark…  _

 

Drac laved at his neck, his teeth gently scraping the back of his neck, slowly sinking into his soft flesh, watching him go limp and vibrate with pleased purrs.  _ Good… good….  _

 

Terrance fell asleep, a puddle of purrs. He barely felt Drac slipping out, or picking him up to carry him to the bathroom to get cleaned out.  _ Tired, Alpha’s got me... _

 

The heat dragged on, Drac exhausted by the fifth day, relieved when Terrance woke up the last day only to shuffle closer, his body cooling down somewhat.  _ Is it over? After all this fucking time? _

 

_ Holy shit…. he does this  _ **_alone?!_ **

 

_ Holy fuck…. _ Drac was exhausted, his head falling back, knocking out for another few hours, letting Terrance softly kissing his neck wake him up, sighing. “....that was exhausting… you do that  **alone** ?”  _ I can’t believe it….  _

 

Terrance hummed, curling up closer. “I usually try and sleep it off…. you’ve been gone for most of them…” He purred as Drac rubbed his back, curling closer to him.  _ I wanna stay like this, this is really nice... _

 

“I’m so, so sorry…” Drac rubbed his back soothingly, groaning.  _ So fucking tired….  _ “I hope you don’t mind if I sleep for another year….. wake me up if you need something….”  _ I don’t wanna move…  _

 

“You’re phone’s been ringing while you were asleep, I didn’t wanna leave the nest to go get it…”  _ You’re gonna leave again…  _ He seemed to deflate at the thought, shifting away from him.  _ Leaving me... _

 

“...honey, I’m not gonna go anywhere, but I need to answer it. Don’t worry.” Drac dragged himself over to his discarded pants and retrieved his phone, sighing as he saw the many, many missed calls.  _ Fuck.  _

Drac went back to hold Terrance to his chest, calling them back.  _ This is gonna be  _ **_fun…._ **

 

_ Want me to talk to the bitch? _

 

_ Sure.  _

 

Alucard happily switched, looking down at Terrance and winking. “Hoping you don’t mind, but Drac wanted me to talk to the boss.”  _ Hi.  _

 

_ His boss? Oh… he’s gotta go shoot another AV…  _ He curled up to himself, nodding. Terrance crawled out of his lap as soon as the phone picked up, moving to curl up in blankets. “If you need to work you can…”  _ I’m not gonna make you, I know you’re not really mine… I should probably look for a job or something… even with the quilts selling well it’s not enough… you’re probably going to sleep with another omega... _

 

_ “Where the  _ **_fuck_ ** _ have you been? I’ve been calling you for hours.”  _ Integra growled into the phone, rubbing at her temples. 

 

“Whoa, calm your tits, lady. I’m with my mate, he just got out of heat.  **So** sorry to have been away from the phone.” 

 

_ “Nice excuse… haven’t heard that one yet. Get your ass here now, we have a problem with those vampires you were supposed to deal with… now pay the prostitute and get on the jet to get here.” _

 

“He’s  **not** some fucking prostitute, he’s my  **mate!** Don’t fucking  **call** him that!” Alucard’s voice was filled with rage, immediately and possessively moving to gather Terrance into his lap, holding him close.  **_Mine._ ** “Send Seras or whoever the fuck else you have gripped by the balls to serve you to deal with it. I’m busy.”  _ I’m not leaving.  _

 

_ “It’s  _ **_your_ ** _ fucking mess Alucard, you vampiric asshole! So help me god if I need to call Levi to find your sorry pale ass I will! Also, it’s fucking Anderson we’re talking about, he’s becoming a problem.” There’s no way he has a fucking mate, who the hell would it even be? He hasn’t spoken to me about anyone?  _

 

“Fucking hell, this is why I sired Seras, and now I can’t even send her to fix this? What’s the Italian bastard gotten into  **this** time? Last I remember I shredded him.” 

 

_ “He put Seras in a coma…she’s not healing Alucard, that’s why I can’t send Seras.”  _ The phone went almost quiet on the other end.  _ “He’s hunting all of our men, Levi’s officially been bonded and sent me mating bonds as proof, he’ll be staying home and protecting his area, but you, you are not official and you are my last fucking option…”  _

 

_ Anderson  _ **_WHAT._ ** “....I’ll turn him into paste.”  _ He’s fucking  _ **_dead._ **

 

_ “I take it you’ll be getting on the jet as soon as you can then?”  _ Integra’s voice was grim as she rubbed her temple, looking over towards Walter trying to heal Seras.  _ This is going to fucking shit.  _

 

_ He’s gonna be leaving, I knew it. _ Terrance got up on his wobbly legs and headed towards the bathroom, closing the door and starting a hot bath.  _ I need to relax, and get back to work…maybe look around?  _

 

“Yeah….” Alucard watched Terrance get up, his voice softening.  _ He’s still so upset…  _ “I’ll need a little bit but I’ll be there soon.”  _ Don’t worry.  _ Alucard hung up and stood, going after Terrance and soon holding his middle from behind. “....I’m sorry… I really have to go…” Alucard sighed. “So I guess now you know what I do for a living.” 

 

“Have fun with this Anderson person…” Terrance wasn’t really paying attention to him, getting out of his grasp and slipping into the warm bath.  _ This is nice… but he’s fucking leaving... _

 

_ ….what the fuck does he think I  _ **_do?_ ** “....Terrance… I’m a kind of contracted special agent…. I’m not contracted to go fuck Anderson. I’m contracted to kill him because he decided to put my associate into a coma.”  _ There’s a bit of a difference.  _

 

Terrance looked at Alucard with tired eyes. “Alucard… It doesn’t change the fact that you’re leaving… You’ve been gone for 9 months in the past year…. I don’t care what you fucking do anymore, I really don’t… I figured it was porn and have been thinking it was porn for the past two years. Yet I find out that you're actually a killer, going after someone who wants to hurt whoever you work for…  **who** do you even work for?” Terrance looked exasperated as he finally looked up to Alucard.  _ I don’t like being alone, but I’ve been forced to be alone for a long time, and fend for myself…  _ “I haven’t fucking left the house in months and I’m not gonna be able to leave for who knows how long…” 

 

Alucard sighed, his voice gentle as he knelt next to the tub. “...I’m sorry I’ve told you jack shit… but telling you exactly  **why** this guy wants us dead is kinda complicated…. it involves a lot of corruption in the Church, and it’s getting kind of messy…. the organization I work for has been trying to shut down people that use vampirism for evil or unsavory means…. The Hellsing Organization. This guy Anderson has been a pain in my fucking ass for the past few years and he won’t just fuck off already and I need to get rid of him…. I’m so sorry I’ve left so often and for so long…. ….but if you give me two more weeks, I’ll be home… and I’ll talk to my boss about retiring … but I’d only want to do that if you want to bond…. …..just… there’s a lot to think about, and I’m so sorry to just kinda dump it on you…. but I’ll come home soon. I’ll try to be a better mate.”  _ I’m sorry.  _

 

“Alucard, we’re not mates… we’re barely dating… Because of what I thought your job was I basically assumed that I was living here with you and paying you back basically to fuck, I’m sorry if I got the wrong impression, I really am, but everything is just fucked up from my point of understanding because you wouldn’t tell me a fucking thing…” Terrance let out a shaky gasp as he held up a hand to cover his mouth, his face heating up as tears started to form.  _ Fuck, everything is just spewing out of me with no fucking filter…  _

 

Alucard reached for him, gently cupping Terrance’s cheek, kissing him softly. “I’m really sorry it’s been like that… most of my focus was on getting you acquainted with what even fucking existed in the real world. There was so much you didn’t know, and there’s still plenty, I’m sure…. but I didn’t want to scare you off. I would’ve left telling you for Drac, but neither of us ever thought it was a good time….”  _ Well fuck.  _

 

Terrance sighed, rubbing at his face and trying not to whine. “Okay…. I get it, it’s fine, just do whatever you need to do, and maybe as for more time off, but we’re nowhere near officially dating, you still have your work cut out for you.”  _ He does, I think the most communication I’ve had with you is fucking mail… and that’s it…  _ Terrance curled up in the warm water, looking back over to where Alucard was kneeling beside him. “Just come home okay? I’ll be okay…”  _ I’ll survive on what’s in the house, I’m still not eating that much…  _ “D-Do you want some blood before you go?” 

  
“Only if it’s okay with you….” Alucard smiled softly as Terrance shifted closer, gently brushing his hair out of the way, nipping at the back of his neck, cradling his jaw as his teeth sunk in, slowly lapping at the wound as Terrance was suddenly full of fluttery purrs.  _ You’re delicious…  _ Alucard kissed his cheek, his voice soft. “I’ll be home soon.”  _ Before you know it.  _ He let go of him, standing and leaving, the door shutting behind him.  _ I’m sorry…  _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please Comment:
> 
> I love to hear your thoughts about my writing! Thanks!
> 
> ~Duke


	4. The Attack

_ Eleven days, I haven’t heard from him in eleven days…. I really really hope he’s okay.  _ Terrance was just about done slicing up his apple to take to the table which had turned into his work bench. He looked up as he heard a knock at the door.  _ What the hell? It’s too early for UPS… unless I was first on the list.  _ He shrugged, going to answer the door, opening it to see a tall beefy man in a white coat, glasses on and his blonde hair everywhere.  _ Huh?  _ “H-Hello?”  _ He looks weird…  _ Terrance felt a shudder run down his spine, wanting to close the door on the man, but not sure what to do as their eyes locked and he froze.  _ Who is this guy?  _

 

Anderson smiled, looking the omega over. “Sorry to bother you so early in the morning, but is there anyone here by the name of Alucard?”  _ Didn’t think that fucker might have a mate. ...they look skinny as fuck, though. Oooh,  _ **_perfect_ ** _ bait….  _

 

“No, he’s not home, can I help you with something?”  _ Is this one of his friends? Are they looking for him? Is he dead somewhere? I don’t have a phone to call him... _

 

“Ah, so he’s out an’ about, eh?” Anderson watched Terrance nod, grinning.  _ Perfect.  _ “Mind if I come in?”

 

“Uh-”

 

He walked right in, grabbing Terrance’s arm and closing the door. “That wasn’t a request.” The door was deftly locked, Anderson taking Terrance upstairs. “I doubt Alucard’s told you jack shit about what it is he does fer a living, but you will  **very** soon. What are you, his boyfriend? That’s unlike him-” He opened the door furthest down the hall, his eyes glinting as he saw the nest, laughing. “Oh, you’re his pet puppy, eh?”  _ Of course.  _

 

Terrance’s heart was racing as he was pulled up the stairs, panic slowly setting in. “Wh-who are you? L-Let go of me!” He whined as he was dragged closer to the nest.  _ He’s… what’s he doing? Why is he holding me so tightly? It hurts!  _

 

“Hasn’t Alucard mentioned me? How rude of him.” He stopped, turning to Terrance. “Alexander Anderson.” He smirked as he saw Terrance’s eyes widen further. “Ah, so he  **has.** How  **kind** of him. Don’t worry, I’ll only kill you if you turn out to be more of a pain in the ass than good bait. So, you’re going to sit right there-” Anderson pushed him into the nest, his voice serious. “And you’re going to  **stay** right there. I’ll be watching.” Anderson shut the door, quickly going downstairs to look for something to tie him with.  _ Rope.  _

 

Terrance looked at the door in fear as it was closed.  _ I don’t….I don’t like this, he’s gonna kill me if I’m not good…  _ He whimpered, his soft scent souring as he reached for a pillow that barely had Alucard’s scent on it.  _ I want him to come home… he’ll come home and make Anderson go away, right?  _

 

Anderson was soon back, smirking as he saw the omega curled up in the nest, silent. “Good, good. You’ll make perfect bait.” Anderson stepped into the nest, kneeling and watching him as began to tie together his ankles. “Now, here’s what’s going to happen. I’m going to make you call Alucard and tell him exactly what’s happening. If you do a good job, when he comes home, I’ll let you go.  **You’re** not the one I’m after.” Anderson finished tying the knot tightly, smirking as he handed Terrance his phone. “If you’re good, I’ll let your hands stay free. Now. Call.”  _ Do it.  _

 

Terrance looked at the phone, reaching for it with shaking hands and dialing Alucard’s number. He had tears in his eyes as the phone continued to ring, going finally to voicemail. “He’s not… he’s not answering…” Terrance sniffled as he saw Anderson’s eyes darken in anger. He dialed the number again holding the phone to his ear as he struggled not to cry.  _ I don’t want him to die…. but if he doesn’t come soon I’m gonna die…  _

 

Anderson could hear it go to voicemail for a second time, sighing. “Piece of shit won’t pick up his phone… well then, we have a second option here.” He took back the phone, dialing another number. “You’re going to pander to his boss instead. The woman’s a fucking bitch, but if she gets the message, then she can yell at her pet vampire  **for** you.” He called, handing Terrance the phone. “Integra Hellsing. Don’t fuck it up.”  _ She’ll answer.  _

 

Terrance looked at Anderson with tears rolling down his cheeks as he took the phone with shaking hands. He couldn’t help the panicked sob that escaped him as he heard Integra’s voice. “M-Miss H-Hellsing?” He hiccuped as he cried, holding the phone with shaking hands.  _ Please stay on the phone.  _

 

_ “Who are you and why the fuck are you calling me?”  _

 

Terrance recoiled as he heard her harsh tone.  _ Fuck…  _ “M-My n-name is T-Terrance…. A-Ali’s n-not answering h-His phone… h-he needs to c-come home… h-he’s in the h-house… h-he’s gonna hurt m-me if Ali d-doesn’t come home…” He couldn’t stop stuttering as he sobbed horribly.  _ I don’t like this, I don’t like this at all. I want Ali to come home… my ankles hurt, and Anderson is staring at me, and he’s ready to hurt me... _

 

_ Oh my god. “You’re Alucard’s mate,  aren’t you? Who’s there, what’s their name?” Fuck. _

 

“I’m not h-his mate… I’m h-his pet… H-He said his n-name was A-Anderson…”  _ I don’t like this… I really don’t like this at all…  _ Terrance was shaking horribly as he was curled up to himself.  _ I don’t like this… I really don’t like this…  _ “P-Please t-tell him to come h-home…” 

 

_ Of all the times that fucker didn’t pick up his fucking phone- “I’ll call him, don’t worry. Just don’t try anything stupid to try and escape, whatever you might think you’re capable of. He’ll get there soon. Just hang on, Terrance.” Fucking hell.  _

 

Anderson grinned as Terrance hung up, taking back the phone. “And now, we wait.” Anderson stood up again, looking over Terrance.  _ The kid’s terrified.  _ “The door’s gonna stay open, kid. Just don’t leave this nest.” He moved to leave, laughing when his cell phone blared. “Ah, the fucker’s finally calling back!” He immediately answered. “What’ve you got to say, you shit excuse for a vampire?”

 

_ “So you’ve decided to hold my mate captive as  _ **_bait_ ** _? You’ve stooped  _ **_lower_ ** _ than when you had little Timmy glued to your crotch. You put Police Girl in a coma, and now you’re using my  _ **_mate_ ** _ to get at me… It’s almost like you’re really  _ **_trying_ ** _ to piss me off, so you better be fucking  _ **_ready_ ** _ for it.”  _

 

“You decided to do a piss poor job in Italy so I decided there’s no better way to get you to actually fucking fight.” Anderson chuckled darkly. “Getting you to come to me was going to take longer than I’d hoped. It was only logical to take your home… the puppy just so happened to be here when I arrived. They’re fine, don’t worry. But they’ll be less okay the longer you take.” _ Show up.  _

 

_ “You touch a single hair on his head and I will personally rip you to pieces and feed you to the hellhounds. I’ll be there as soon as I fucking can, you better fucking take care of him. I swear to god, if he’s not taken care of I will torture you until you beg me for death.”  _

 

“He’ll be fine, you piece of shit. Run.” Anderson hung up before Alucard could say anything else, meandering around the first floor of the house.  _ Hm. _

 

Terrance shook horribly Anderson left to go downstairs, looking at his tied ankles and how they were already starting to rub.  _ I don’t like this…  _ He sobbed as he tried to pull at the rope, only managing to make the rope burn worse in his efforts.  _ I want Alpha… I want Alpha to come home…  _

 

Anderson could hear the crying from upstairs, coming up. “Now what’s…. ah.” Anderson knelt next to Terrance, going to loosen the knots enough to wrap sheets around his ankles. “That should help. If you don’t fight it, it won’t get worse.”  _ They’re tighter than before with the sheets, but at least it won’t hurt.  _

 

Terrance was a sniffling mess and he flinched when Anderson reached for him, yelping as he tightened the rope. He was panicking, his sour scent permeating the room and starting to filter out of the window.  _ I want Alpha, I want Alpha to come home…  _

 

“Look, I know you’re scared, but we’re gonna have a serious problem if you can’t get your scent under control. Even I can smell it so I know it’s getting bad. Calm it down and we won’t have a problem. Remember, I’m not here for you. I’m here for Alucard.”  _ It’s fine.  _

 

Lathe’s head perked up from where he was gardening with Levi, smelling something sour. “....Levi, can you smell that?”

 

The vampire paused, tilting his head. “Yeah, I can. Sour omega?”

 

“Sour omega. I’m gonna go see what’s up, okay? It’s probably Terrance.”  _ I want my pup to be okay.  _ Lathe decided to meander over, knocking on the door.  _ The scent’s pretty strong…. damn…  _

 

Anderson growled, grabbing at Terrance’s arms and squeezing them tightly. “Get your scent under control, got it?”  _ I need to go see who’s at the fucking door, Alucard would’ve fucking walked right in.  _ He stormed down the stairs, opening the door and looking at Lathe with passive eyes. “Can I help you?” 

 

_ Huh. Someone else?  _ “Hi, uhm, my name is Lathe, I live across the street. I can smell Terrance all the way over there, is he okay? Can I see him?”  _ I want to make sure he’s okay… and I don’t know you…. you haven’t been around here before, I’d know your face.  _

 

Anderson looked around first before nodding and letting him in. He closed and locked the door behind him before pulling out his knife and holding it to Lathe’s throat. “Don’t make a sound and don’t move or you won’t make it out alive…”  _ I want Alucard, but you’re making things complicated... _

 

Lathe felt a cold wind blow through him the second he stepped over the threshold, freezing the second he felt metal at his throat, whimpering softly for an instant before shutting up.  _ Okay, okay, fuck, this is bad…..  _ Lathe let Anderson drag him upstairs, seeing Terrance tied up, letting Anderson throw him into the nest. He scrambled to cling to him, the omegas clinging to the other as Anderson tied Lathe’s feet together, trying to comfort the other.  _ Holy fuck…. he’s gonna kill us….  _

 

Terrance was shaking horribly as he watched Lathe get tied as well, shaking and whimpering, trying to control his scent and failing miserably. He yelped as a knife was pointed at his neck, but instead found the skin on his left shoulder.  _ It hurts, it hurts…  _

 

“I told you to get your scent under control, now look what you’ve done. Ye got a neighbor involved.” Anderson smirked as he saw the bright red that fell from the fresh wound on his shoulder.  _ Maybe if I spill a bit of blood Alucard will get here quicker.  _

 

Lathe tried to pull Terrance away. “Don’t hurt him…. please…” Lathe wound his arms around him, hiding him in his chest.  _ Not my baby….. please…..  _

 

Terrance was already pale as he looked to his bleeding shoulder. “L-Lathe?” He was shaking horribly as he started to sob all over again. “I want Ali… I want Ali to come home.”

 

Lathe dabbed at the small cut with a black sheet nearby, kissing Terrance’s head. “It’s okay…. it’s okay, he’ll come home soon…. he’ll come home….” Lathe didn’t look away from Anderson, trying to calm Terrance down.  _ He’s always gone for months at a time… he’s…. he’s not coming home…..  _

 

Terrance couldn’t stop his scent from pouring out of him as his cut was dabbed at. “Hurts…”  _ I want him to come home now... _

 

Levi waited for a while, dropping his gloves when the sour scent only grew stronger.  _ Fuck this.  _ Levi marched across  the street, ready for anything when he knocked forcefully on the door.  _ Something happened to Dad.  _ Levi saw the man open the door, not even letting him speak before spitting his words out. “Where the fuck is my father?”  **_You_ ** _.  _

 

Anderson looked at Levi.  _ It’s a fucking bloody heathen.  _ “He’s not here, now fuck off you Protestant fuckbucket.” He started to close the door, surprised to see a hand blocking it. 

 

“I watched my father walk into this damn house because he could smell the only omega who lives here. They’re scared, and the house reeks of fear. Now. Where.  **Are.** They.” Levi shoved the door completely open, making Anderson stagger back, going into a defensive stance.  _ Am I gonna have to fight this fucking lunatic? _

 

“I’m not telling you ya bloody heathen.”  _ Shit, is this gonna end up with blood everywhere.  _ Anderson’s eyes were furious as he heard Terrance sobbing from upstairs.  _ Bloody hell.  _ “For Christ’s sake you better fuckin’ leave you heathen before you wind up dead…” 

 

“I seriously doubt that’ll happen.” Levi’s eyes flashed red, smirking. “I’d recommend you leave yourself… unless you’d like to become a pile of ribbons of meat and skin on the floor.”  _ They’re upstairs.  _ “Now, if you don’t mind-” Levi had to move fast as Anderson lunged at him, looking up to the mantle and snatching the swords crossed on a plate mounted on the wall.  _ I can do this.  _ Levi turned back to see Anderson holding two bayonets, not having time to question it before going back in.  **_I’ll fucking kill you._ **

 

Lathe could hear the clash of metal on metal, listening carefully.  _ Levi’s in the house… and we’re trapped up here… …..wait, what the fuck am I thinking?!  _ “Oh my god….”

 

“Wh-What?”

 

“We’re sitting up here like two fucking lemons when I could be doing this.” Lathe let his hand shift to a claw, easily cutting their bonds off.  _ Better.  _ “Hope you don’t mind jumping out of a window, Hun.” Lathe immediately got up, shutting and locking the door and going to open the window fully.  _ There’s a thing underneath this window, then an easy jump to the ground... _

 

Terrance looked fearful as he got anywhere near the window, crying horribly.  _ I don’t wanna go out the window… I want Ali!  _ His scent soured even more, shaking his head and curling up in a ball. “I-I want Ali…” 

 

“Ali will be here soon, but we need to get you somewhere safe, honey…. come on, I’ll carry you.” Lathe picked the lanky omega up, bringing him to the window and hurriedly and quietly coaxing him to crawl out onto the roof, walking to the edge and jumping down, looking up to Terrance. “Honey, please, jump and I’ll catch you… we need to get the fuck out of here, come on!”  _ I’ll catch you!! Hurry!! _

 

Terrance was crying horribly, shaking his head as he started to walk back towards the window. “I want Ali… I want Ali….”  _ I want him to get home, I want Alpha…. _

 

Lathe shifted and immediately leapt back onto the roof, shifting back and picking Terrance up. “Sorry, honey.” Lathe turned right around and leapt from the roof, hitting the ground hard, keeping Terrance safe.  _ How the fuck did I just get away with that….  _ Lathe got to his feet, looking back before suddenly sprinting off with Terrance in his arms.  _ Away. Now. _

 

Alucard came around the corner fast, slamming on the brakes as he saw Lathe running with Terrance in his arms.  _ Fuck.  _ Alucard was out of the car in a second, soon finding himself with arms full of his omega. “Terrance?! Are you okay? The hell happened?” He knelt down, trying to better hold him.  _ I’m here…. I’m here…..  _

 

Terrance looked up to him with tears in his eyes. “H-He… he’s inside… he… he hurt me…”  _ I have bruises on my arms, and my ankles hurt, and my shoulder is cut open….  _ He whimpered, sobbing as he moved to cling to him, crying in his arms.  _ Ali’s home, Alpha’s home... _

 

Alucard set Terrance on the grass, kneeling next to him and gently kissing his cheek, his hands on his shoulders, feeling for his wounds.  _ Fuck… he hurt you.  _ He drew the pain and bruising out of him, soon gently rubbing their necks together. “I’m here… alpha’s home…. it’s okay.”

 

Terrance was slow to calm down, shaking and gripping at his clothes, looking through the window as a bright yellow flash happened.  _ What… what happened? Is he gone? Please tell me he’s gone… I want Alpha to be safe.  _ He held onto Alucard tightly, sobbing horribly, his scent sour and almost putrid as shook in the vampires arms.  _ I’m scared, I don't want Alpha to leave, or get hurt…  _

 

Alucard held onto him, gently rubbing his back, not knowing what to do to calm him besides let his fangs come out, lapping at his neck before sinking them in, letting him go limp with purrs in his arms.  _ The reset button always works….  _ Alucard looked up to Lathe, his tone serious. “Can I trust you to keep him safe?” 

 

“Of course.” Lathe scooped Terrance up, kissing his head. “Alpha will be back in a couple minutes, honey….” Lathe immediately began to head to a nearby street, finding a place for them to hide.  _ We can’t be seen….  _

 

Alucard ran to the house, watching as Levi came out of the front door, unscathed, but with blood stains on his shirt. “The fuck happened?” 

 

Levi licked at some blood that covered his wrist, still holding the two blades he’d found. “The Catholic Church happened. Anderson… It was Anderson.” His eyes were thin as he looked back at the blood stained area. “I’ve healed, he won’t be back for a good while. He’s probably been here for a few hours tormenting your omega.”  _ Alucard lives across the street from me? And he has a Mate?  _

 

“I know Anderson was here, I received a threat from him that if I didn’t show up he’d hurt my mate. He’s gone?” He watched Levi nod. “......how the fuck did you get here so fast, anyway?” 

 

“Lathe is my…. father, I live across the street from you, apparently…. but we just moved in a few weeks ago, and to be honest I had no idea we were this close. I see you’ve finally grown up from your prostitutes to an actual mate… well, hopefully. Anderson said he’d ‘fuck the innocence out of your pet’ so I have to believe that he threatened him. Don’t leave him alone, you hear?”  _ We’re close…. I can kick his ass if I need to.  _

 

Alucard’s eyes turned scarlet at those words, furious.  _ He’d  _ **_what._ **

 

_ Alucard, I’m just gonna-  _ Drac forced them to switch, feeling Alucard throwing a fit in the back of his head.  _ Well shit.  _ “......Alucard was about to go mental… and he’s currently having a fit…. uhm…”  _ How did we not know you were here?  _ “I’m going to go get him… your father has him right now. ….thank you.”  _ Well shit.  _

 

“He probably took him to his house, you know which one it is I assume?” Levi looked Alucard over, impressed for a split second before looking at the car. “So who’d you steal that one from?”  _ You have a habit of stealing things... _

 

“That’s actually mine for once. I’m surprised Alucard hasn’t crashed it yet. Though I think he likes it too much to wreck it- they got the goat-blood red color just right.”  _ I’m impressed.  _

 

Levi sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Sweet Christ, just go take care of the omega, I’ll see what I can do about your living situation and clean up for the moment.” _ It looks like there was a massacre there…. _ He turned to head back inside, letting his magic course through his veins and illuminate them.  _ Haven’t had to use magic in a long while…  _

 

Terrance slowly began to go rigid in Lathe’s hold, whimpering and whining for Drac. “I want Alpha… Alpha will keep me safe…”  _ I want Alpha, I really want Alpha, I know Alpha’s here…  _

 

Lathe gently pet the omega, keeping him close. “I know, soon, don’t worry-” Lathe looked up as someone knocked at the front door, relieved to hear Drac’s voice.  _ Thank fuck…  _ Lathe immediately answered, dumping Terrance into his arms.  _ Fix him.  _

 

Terrance practically threw himself into Drac’s arms and clung to him, his legs wrapping around his waist as best as he could and burying his face into Drac’s neck, trying to find his scent.  _ This is my alpha, right? Mine?  _ He whined as he started to slip, yelping when his ass was suddenly grabbed, though calming when he realized it was just to keep him up and around Drac’s torso.  _ My alpha... _

 

Drac heaved Terrance up, nosing his way into his neck and gently kissing his scent gland, trying to let out his scent, holding him protectively. “....I’m home….. let’s go home, okay?”  _ Home….  _

 

“H-He’s not… not there right? He’s not g-gonna hurt me anym-more?” Terrance slowly started to relax as he was being held.  _ Alpha’s gonna take me home… Alpha thinks it’s safe... _

 

“He’s gone…. honey, did he hurt you?”  _ Are you okay?  _ Drac carried him across the street, thanking Levi as the vampire held open the door, carrying Terrance into the clean house. “Levi-”

 

Levi held up his hand, getting Drac to stop speaking. “I don’t wanna hear your excuse. You’re going to call Integra and tell her what the hell happened, if she calls me, she calls me. I’m off duty for now, my mate is going into heat soon, so if you bring that mammoth of a priest back here I won’t be helping you, are we clear?” Levi’s voice held authority as he spoke, crossing his arms as he saw Terrance look back at him from Drac’s arms. “Take care of him, make sure he’s not gonna flip his shit if you leave him home alone.” 

 

“I’ve got it. Thank you.” Drac stepped inside when Levi moved out of his way, bringing the omega upstairs, settling down in the nest and keeping Terrance pressed flush to him in his lap. “I’m going to call Integra, okay? And then we can talk.”  _ There’s some stuff we need to clear up…. _

 

Terrance nodded, curling up to Drac’s chest and holding onto his shirt tightly as he was situated in his lap. He looked around his nest, only able to smell his putrid scent.  _ My nest is gonna smell like that for weeks… fuck…  _ He whimpered quietly as Drac took out his cell phone and dialed a few numbers. 

 

Drac turned to kiss all over Terrance’s cheeks as the phone rang, looking up as Integra picked up. “Integra-”

 

_ “Is Anderson dead?”  _

 

“No, but I hadn’t even gotten there before Levi had. The second I show up, Levi’s Dad is running with my mate away from the house and Levi’s fighting him. It wasn’t a minute before I saw the light from him teleporting away. Levi says he was badly wounded, so it’ll be awhile before we see him again.”

 

_ “Levi? Levi was close to your house? And Levi’s father? Do you mean his mate’s father?” Levi doesn’t have a father…..  _

_ and you’d better be prepared when he comes back, even if we don’t see them for awhile, understood?” _

 

“I will be, and…. apparently….. Levi, his mate, and his mate’s father live right across the street.”

 

_ This is an interesting development… “Don’t bother your Sire, Drac, I don’t want to have to send Walter to pick up the pieces… is your pet okay? He seemed quite… how shall I put this…  _ **_shaken_ ** _ when he called me.” _

 

“Can you not call him my pet? He’s my  **mate.** I’ve said that before. And he’s calming down a bit, it’ll be a bit before he’s all the way okay.” Drac gently kissed the top of Terrance’s head, smiling softly. “He’ll be fine.” 

 

_ “That’s not what he called himself when he called me… he said he was your pet, not your mate, and until you're actually bonded, you’re not to call him your mate, are we clear?”  _

 

“No. He’s not my pet. Absolutely not.”  _ You’re not going to change that.  _ “Terrance, you know you’re not my pet, right?” Drac looked to Terrance, a hand carding through his hair. 

 

Terrance shook his head, curling up to Drac more. “I am your pet…”  _ I’ve got a collar on and everything… I found the cage that Alucard bought… and I put it together... _

 

Drac looked helpless, looking to the phone. “....I’ll call you back.” He hung up and immediately silenced his phone and tossed it away.  _ Shit.  _ “Terrance, honey…. you’re not my pet…. what makes you think that?” He held him close, his look serious. 

 

“I…. I f-found the collars, and and… and the cage… I p-put it together already… I-I can go inside i-if you want me to…”  _ Drac and Ali want me as a pet, they’ve already kept me for almost two years, I should probably do what they want me to do... _

 

_ …...Alucard.  _

 

_ He was so fucking cute as a puppy, it’s a kink thing! Don’t kink-shame me! _

 

_ Fucking hell…  _ “Terrance…. do you know what a kink is?” 

 

Terrance looked down and shook his head. “I-I can have m-my ears and tail c-come out of you want me to g-go in the cage…”  _ He’ll want me in the cage with a collar on, won’t he… I can do that… _ “I-I’ll go and get in the cage…” Terrance moved off of his lap, stretching out and stripping down before going to meander down the stairs.  _ It’s downstairs… _

 

“No, honey, come here.” Drac reached up and pulled Terrance back into his lap, his eyes soft. “.....honey… Alucard and I both find you very attractive… but a kink is something that someone finds even more attractive or pleasurable than just normal looks or regular sex. Alucard and I a bit have a kink… seeing you with your ears and tail out with a collar on is  **very** attractive…. but it doesn’t mean you’re our pet… you’re still our mate, you’re still very important to us, but seeing you like that is  **wonderful.”** Drac kissed all over his head. “You don’t have to always be like that, and you can always say no if you don’t want to be our puppy for an hour or two… but you’re always going to be our mate.”  _ Ours.  _

 

“But we’re not… we’re not bonded… or mated fully yet…”  _ I don’t understand, why do you keep calling me your mate?  _

 

“...I know. I want to properly date you and be your mate. But I hate the word pet…. I don’t own you, and I don’t control what you do. ….at least, would you be my boyfriend?” Drac took his hand, smiling softly.  _ Please?  _

 

Terrance blushed, reaching for a pillow to cover his naked body and nodded. “I-I think that would work… I’ll have to send Leia that I have a +1 for the wedding.” He smiled softly, curling up to him.  _ We’re gonna date? He’s gonna be my boyfriend…  _

 

Drac’s expression changed, pulling over a sheet to cover him. “A wedding? Who’s getting married?” 

 

“My eldest sister… she sent me an invite last week, and I wasn’t sure if I should go…” 

 

“You should go! If you’re sure that you want to bring me, I’d love to come with. That would be really nice.”  _ I'd like that. And you should see your sister again.  _

 

“You can come with me, right? You won’t have to go and leave for a long time right?”  _ I don’t want to have to go alone… I need to go out shopping to get better clothes... _

 

“I’ll come with you, I’ll do everything I can to come. I’ll make sure Integra gets it in her head that I’ll have stuff to do now. I can’t be away for so long so often.”  _ I’ll do it.  _

 

Terrance smiled softly and nodded, moving to kiss as Drac’s neck softly, kissing up his jaw ever so slightly. “Does that mean you get to stay here with me?”  _ I hope you can stay longer, you’re warm, and I don’t like sleeping alone... _

 

“I’ll stay…. I’ll stay.”  _ I’ll make sure I do.  _ Drac let Terrance kiss his neck, his voice soft. “....Alucard got you a new cage?”

 

“Mhm….”

 

“Would you mind showing me how you look in it?”  _ I want to see that….  _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please Comment:
> 
> I love to hear your thoughts about my writing! Thanks!
> 
> ~Duke


	5. The Overdose

“Would you mind showing me how you look in it?”  _ I want to see that….  _

 

Terrance nodded, pulling off the sheet he had on him and the pillow on his lap. “Yeah, I’ll be in the laundry room downstairs, okay?”  _ You’ll probably like it…  _ He turned, showing off a tail as it wagged slowly, which highlighted how bubbly his ass was. His ears were perked as he disappeared down the staircase.  _ He’ll like how I look in it right?  _

 

Drac gave Terrance a good couple minutes to situate himself, soon meandering downstairs, stopping when he saw him.  _ Well fuck.  _

 

_ I wanna see!!!  _ Alucard forced them to switch, taking in the sight, his favorite collar around Terrance’s throat. “.....fuck, look at you…..” Alucard knelt next to him, enjoying the innocent look he was being given, going to open up the cage, smirking. “Come here, pup….” He smiled as Terrance crawled out into his lap, admiring him.  _ Fuck, you’re hot….  _

 

Terrance settled in Alucard’s lap, his own length starting to harden as he moved to lick at Alucard’s neck and face.  _ I wonder if we’re gonna do something, Ali’s getting hard. _

 

Alucard smirked as Terrance lapped at his neck, shedding his gloves and going to run his hands all over his nude body. “Look at you… you’re so handsome….”  _ Fucking hell, we got so lucky…. _

 

_ We really did….  _

 

Terrance purred, licking at the open skin he could find. He caught a finger, starting to suck on it expertly, his tongue rolling around it.  _ I wonder if he’ll have me suck him off, I haven’t done it in awhile and I’ve been practicing... _

 

Alucard watched with dark fascination, smirking. “Has someone been practicing?”  _ You’re doing it like you’ve been doing it for years…  _ “I think I know somewhere that would appreciate that skill….” He sighed deeply as Terrance pawed at his pants, letting him undo them.  _ Go ahead, love.  _

 

Terrance purred as he undid Alucard’s pants, pulling them down and lapping at his length when it was finally free.  _ I don’t scratch it with teeth anymore, I’ll be able to swallow you whole... _

 

Alucard sighed deeply as Terrance lapped at him, his hands weaving into his hair, moaning as Terrance took his tip into his mouth.  _ No teeth… and he’s really doing it just right…. fuck…  _ “.....y-you…. hah….. must’ve had practice…..” 

 

Terrance purred, licking the underside of his length as he slowly began to bob his head, going further and further down his shaft.  _ He’s so fucking big, I like it… he’s being really gentle too. If he keeps praising me I’ll start to slick too... _

 

Alucard moaned, his hands gentle as they ran through his hair. “My god, you’re doing it perfectly….. you’re so hot like this…” He looked down, admiring the pup sucking on his length.  _ Holy fuck…  _

 

Terrance finally got all the way down to the base, feeling Alucard’s length all the way down his throat.  _ Fuck yes! I got it!  _ His tail wagged as he sucked his entire cock with his nose nuzzled in his coarse pubic hair.  _ I got it, I got it all... _

 

Alucard moaned even louder, panting as Terrance swallowed around him. “Fuck, it feels good…. You’re being so good…. so good….” 

 

Terrance purred, his throat vibrating as he swallowed, slowly bobbing his head, picking his head up, a line of saliva connecting his mouth to his dick. He looked up to Ali with dark eyes as his tail wagged and the sweet scent of slick started to permeate the room.  _ Alpha will like the slick, right?  _

 

Alucard groaned, licking his lips, sighing deeply as he smelled the sweet slick.  _ Fuck, you smell good…..  _ Alucard reached for Terrance, pulling him up to him and mouthing roughly at his neck.  _ I want you….  _ His hands cupped his ass, squeezing the round globes.  _ Such a nice ass…. _

 

_ I know, right? _

 

_ Ali wants it, Ali really really wants it.  _ He yelped a bit as his ass was grabbed and handled.  _ He’s squeezing them, does that mean he really likes it?  _ Terrance made sure to keep his tail out of the way of Alucard’s hands and his hole to make sure it didn’t get covered in slick.  _ Alpha’s hard... _

 

Alucard smirked, his fingers trailing up to rub at the base of his tail, very pleased as Terrance started to shake and whimper.  _ Fuck, that’s hot…  _

 

Terrance gripped onto Alucard’s shirt as the base of his tail was teased.  _ F-Fuck…  _ He whimpered in bliss as Alucard took hold of it and stroked it.  _ Fuck it feels really really good with him touching me like that… _ He started to make more slick, some dripping down onto Alucard’s hard cock. 

 

Alucard rubbed Terrance’s back, stroking him firmly, murmuring to him as he shook and came, letting him slump into his chest. “Good, good…. so good….” Alucard scooped him up, letting him relax as he carried him upstairs.  _ I want you…  _

 

Terrance held onto him tightly as Alucard carried him upstairs, looking down, or at least trying to. He gasped as he felt Alucard’s tip touch his entrance.  _ F-Fuck, I want his cock… I really really want it…  _ He whined, tugging on his clothes, wanting him to walk faster. 

 

Alucard chuckled, getting them upstairs and soon kicking the door shut, lying Terrance down in the nest and beginning to strip. “....fuck, you’re gorgeous….” He was soon enough all over him, getting the collar off to mouth and nip at his neck, pulling him close and hurriedly sheathing himself inside of him.  _ I missed this…. fuck….  _

 

Terrance let out a loud trill as Alucard nipped at his neck, moaning as he felt Alucard sheathe himself.  _ F-fuck…. it feels so good.  _ He could feel himself making more slick from the words of praise leaving Alucard’s mouth. _ Fuck, I’m being a good puppy for him, shit, he’s moving, oh fuck I don’t think I’m gonna last long. I want him to fuck me.  _ His arms clawed for purchase, trying to find something to grab onto.  _ Want something... _

 

Alucard felt Terrance finally grip at his shoulder blades, immediately beginning to pound into him, his length aching.  _ I want to cum….  _ He kissed all down his neck, soon letting his teeth sink into his flesh, groaning as he tasted his blood.  _ So fucking good….  _

 

Terrance’s eyes grew wide, his back arching as he tightened around Alucard a bit.  _ Fuck, fuck I want it.  _ He tilted his head to the side to give home more space, purring loudly as Alucard bit him again and closer to his glands.  _ Does…. does he want to make bonds? Or is he just drinking?  _

 

Alucard lapped at the wound, letting it close, only gently lapping at his gland, not biting it.  _ I can’t bond him…. he won’t want that….  _ He moved back up, further back, biting down again, groaning loudly.  _ I’m gonna cum…  _

 

Terrance let out a loud cry of bliss as he came instantly with him biting there. He clung to Alucard, his nails almost digging into his shoulders but leaving marks. He tightened around Alucard cock as it was still buried inside of him, purring as he slowly melted into a puddle of bliss. 

 

Alucard came as Terrance tightened around him, groaning loudly.  _ So good….  _ He lapped at the wound, slowing and knotting him, rolling them over so Terrance laid on his chest, petting him and kissing him all over.  _ Mine.  _

 

Terrance was a panting mess, purring happily as he was pet, his ears perking as he listened to Alucard’s rapid heart beat slowly dwindle to nothing.  _ Huh? He doesn’t have a heartbeat? How have I not noticed before?  _

 

Alucard smiled at Terrance’s curiosity, petting him gently. “I don’t have a heartbeat, normally. I only do when I’m doing something particularly… well, involved.” He kissed the tip of his nose, chuckling softly. “.....you’re adorable, you know that?”  _ I like him…. I like him a lot….  _

 

Terrance’s whole face blushed as he looked at Alucard.  _ He’s really handsome… I don’t know if I’m allowed to talk yet… _ He kept his head on Alucard’s chest, slowly coming down from his own high of bliss.  _ It feels really good.  _

 

Alucard smirked, petting behind his ears. “Have something to say, hun?”  _ I wanna hear it….  _

 

“Are you gonna tie me up too?”  _ You bought a lot of rope, I think that’s what it was for… to tie me up, right?  _ Terrance looked at him with innocent eyes, his ears perked forward, waiting patiently to hear his reply.  _ His hands feel nice behind my ears... _

 

“.....you would look perfect all tied up for me…. but we don’t have to do that today…. someday when you’re comfortable with the idea… but not today.”  _ We’ll save that for a more special occasion…  _ Alucard kissed his head, happy to pet him if it earned him more purrs.  _ Mine.  _

 

Terrance nodded, purring until a thought crossed his mind. “He’s not…. he’s not gonna come back, right?”  _ I don’t want him to hurt me again, it really hurt, why was he trying to hurt me? _

 

“He’s not dead… but I’m going to do everything I can to keep you safe… he’ll never be here to hurt you again if I can help it…. you won’t ever have to worry again.”  _ Never.  _

 

Terrance nodded, looking to Alucard’s chest, smiling softly. “Hmm, we’ll need to get nice clothes for the wedding.”  _ I want to impress Leia… the rest of my family will be there… well, my older siblings… I hope they’ll talk to me too…  _ He fidgeted in Alucard’s arms. “Do…. do you think they’ll be okay with me dating a vampire?”  _ I really want them to be okay with it... _

 

“I think it’ll be okay. I’ll behave myself, don’t worry. I’ll have Drac be the one actually attending.”  _ You can behave.  _

 

_ I’m the one with manners after all.  _

 

_ I’m not apologizing for being uncivilized. It’s fun.  _

 

Terrance nodded, sighing as Alucard’s knot finally lessened and slid out of him along with more slick and seed. “Fuck, I need to take a bath, can… can we eat dinner after?”  _ I wanna eat… I’m hungry.. _

 

“Of course we can…. do you want me to bathe with you?”  _ I'd like that…..  _ “It’s okay if you want to bathe alone. You can take your time and I’ll have dinner ready when you’re done.”  _ I'll make you food.  _

 

“Can you get dinner? I’m starving…”  _ My stomach hurts, I haven’t eaten really all day because he wouldn’t let me... _ Terrance slipped off of Alucard, getting on shaking legs and walking to the bathroom.  _ Bath... _

 

Alucard let him go, stretching and getting up, getting on boxers and sweatpants before meandering downstairs.  _ Dinner.  _ He put together a large dinner, having steak, mashed potatoes and steamed carrots all ready in half an hour.  _ Food.  _

 

Terrance came down, drowning in one of Alucard’s shirts, rubbing at his eyes. “Ali?” He called softly as he started to make his way down the stairs.  _ I wanna be carried… I don’t wanna walk... _

 

“Yes?” Alucard came to the stairs, smiling as he saw Terrance in one of his shirts. “That shirt is so big on you….. come here….” Alucard reached for him and picked him up, carrying him to the kitchen and setting him at the table, plates of food soon set down in front of him. “Take as much as you like, honey.”  _ You’ll like it…. I hope so, at least….  _

 

Terrance nodded and yawned, making a small squeak as he stretched out.  _ I’m really tired, maybe I lost too much blood today?  _ He cut at the steak, feeling his head spin.  _ It feels weird… really weird… my head is spinning... _

 

Alucard noticed his strange look, recognizing it.  _ Blood loss?  _ “Here….” Alucard knelt next to him, offering his neck, a hand reaching up and scratching his neck. “....drink….”  _ Please….  _

 

“Huh? W-Why?”  _ I don’t get it…. _

 

“Have you lost blood today?” 

 

“Y-Yeah… when… when An- He cut me… and y-you drank when… when we were fucking…”  _ I lost some, not a lot right? I don’t think I lost that much…  _

 

“.....it might not seem like much… but I think you should have some more….. you seem like you have some of the effects of blood loss…..”  _ Please….  _

Terrance nodded, moving to lap at the blood that bubbled to the surface.  _ I’ll be able to stomach it…  _ He licked at it timidly at first before he started to almost suck at the blood.  _ It tastes… it tastes really good... _

 

Alucard chuckled as Terrance started lapping at the liquid eagerly. “Have as much as you want… as much as you need.”  _ Take it.  _

 

Terrance sucked at his wound, purring as he drank as much as he could.  _ It tastes really nice.  _ He looked back at Alucard with some blood dribbling down his chin, a smile on his face.  _ I feel… my body feels really warm, fuck, like when I smoked with Felix….  _

 

Alucard moved to lick up the drops on his chin, going to slowly kiss Terrance, smirking when they broke apart. “Eat your dinner, love….”  _ You need it… get some meat on your bones….  _

 

Terrance nodded and moved to dig in, eating everything on his plate and asking for seconds for the first time since he’d moved in.  _ Food, starving... _

 

Alucard was surprised, piling more onto Terrance’s plate, pleased as he ate everything.  _ He’s actually  _ **_eating._ **

 

_ …..wow.  _

 

_ I know!! What the fuck! _

 

Terrance cleaned off that plate as well, feeling like he could eat everything in the house.  _ Food… want more… want to go hunting…  _ He looked up and towards the back of the house by the forest.  _ Want to go hunting.  _ Terrance shifted, his form slightly larger than normal as he looked up to Alucard, moving to rub his body against his legs, scenting him before he went towards the back door and tried to open it.  _ I wanna go hunting!  _

 

Alucard smiled as Terrance moved to scent him, chuckling.  _ Like a cat…  _ “Outside?” Alucard opened the back door, surprised to see him run off into the woods.  _ ….he’s probably going hunting.  _

 

_ Probably. He’s a wolf, after all. And he was hungry.  _

 

_ He was. I’ll start worrying when it gets dark.  _

 

_ Yeah, he’ll be okay.   _

 

Terrance felt like he was starving all over again, sniffing at the ground and taking in everything in the area.  _ I haven’t hunted around here… ever…  _ He followed tracks, trying to figure out where the prey he was chasing had gone. The omega managed to capture a rabbit for a snack to keep him from running out of energy. He’d finally found the herd of elk around dusk, his eyes alight with hunger as he crouched to settle himself.  _ That one’s big… really big.  _ Terrance didn’t think twice before he was on the move and going after the largest buck. 

 

Alucard started to get nervous as day started to fade and they approached nightfall, pacing the house.  _ Should I go looking for him? _

 

_ I don’t know…  _

 

_ He might be hurt, or lost… _

 

_ …….you probably should…. _

 

_ Yeah…. _ Alucard suddenly left the house, running into the woods.  _ Where the fuck is he….  _

 

Terrance was gorging himself on the large elk, intermittently licking at his side where he got cut from it’s antlers but not deeply. He ate at the flesh, barely feeling full as he finished hours later, the carcass left merely bones and tendons.  _ More, need more… need more food... _

 

Alucard could smell blood, running deeper and deeper into the woods.  _ Blood…. lots of blood…  _ He soon came into a small clearing, staring with wide eyes as he spotted Terrance, the carcass of a huge elk next to him. “.....did you eat that whole fucking thing?”  _ ….wow.  _

 

_ Oh my god.  _

 

Terrance perked his ears as he looked at Alucard, his purrs sounding like a deep rumble in his throat.  _ I’m still hungry.  _ He sniffed at Alucard, rubbing up against him, letting out a yelp as he tweaked his side.  _ My side is still open, but I thought it was healing…  _

 

Alucard sighed in relief as Terrance became a cat, instantly worried when he yelped. “Terrance, are you okay? Where does it hurt?” Alucard spotted the patch of blood on his side, his hand moving to the place, feeling the wound close up under his touch.  _ My baby…  _

 

Terrance purred, his tail wagging, sniffing at Alucard’s leg and moving to sink his teeth into it.  _ Blood, Ali’s blood tastes really good.  _ His long tongue lapped at the holes he made before they closed up, licking away the rest of the blood.  _ Mine, my vampire… my alpha…  _ Terrance practically grew in front of Alucard, rubbing his whole body against his legs to drench him in scent. 

 

Alucard let Terrance do what he wanted, shocked to watch the wolf grow.  _ He’s getting bigger…. and his scent is a lot stronger too….  _ “Terrance, honey? Let’s go home, okay?”  _ It’s getting late to be out... _

 

Terrance snorted, still rubbing up against Alucard without stopping.  _ Mine, all mine… He’ll bond me eventually, this one's mine, I need to keep him, must keep Alpha.  _ He purred, letting Alucard start to walk them back but staying within a few inches of him.  _ My alpha... _

 

Alucard smiled as Terrance stayed so close, one hand going to pet him the entire way back, letting them back into the house. “Can you shift, honey? We’ll get you all cleaned up.”  _ We’ll get you in the bath again.  _

 

Terrance slowly shifted, ending up curled up on the floor, his hands and feet covered in mud, the rest of him stained red from the gore.  _ Another bath?  _ He looked to his side, seeing the very large tear in the shirt, surprised that it’d made it to the clothing.  _ It’s… I hope that it wasn’t anything serious.  _

 

Alucard sighed, going to scoop Terrance up, holding him to his chest and getting him upstairs, starting a bath for him.  _ You need a bath….  _ “Feeling okay?”  _ I’m worried.  _

 

Terrance was quiet as he inspected the tear in the shirt, trying to see if the wound was still there. “Warm… and like I’m floating…. I’m hungry but not starving… it’s like when I smoked with Felix sometimes….”  _ It feels really nice… really really nice.  _

 

_ …...he’s high.  _

 

_ He’s high on vampy blood. You gave him the munchies.  _

 

_ Makes sense.  _ Alucard chuckled, taking the shirt off of him and lifting Terrance into the warm water, kneeling down. “Let’s get you cleaned up, and then we’ll get you more snacks, okay?”  _ Snacks.  _

 

_ Snacks are nice.  _

 

_ I like snacks.  _ “Who’s Felix?”

 

“He’s one of my older brothers… Do you smoke? I liked smoking with Felix, it was really really nice…”  Terrance started to purr, rubbing his gore-covered face all over where he could reach him.  _ He’s petting me, and it feels really nice, I really like it... _

 

Alucard caught his head, making a note to wash that first, the water soon turning pink with blood.  _ Damn.  _ “Sometimes. Not much lately, though. Integra ripped me a new one for being too high to answer the phone one time, so that kind of ended it for a bit.” Alucard washed his hair, getting a brush to get out all the blood.  

 

Terrance purred as he was washed, looking at him with hazy eyes. “Can we smoke together? I haven’t smoked in a really long time. Please? Please Ali?”  _ I wanna smoke again, smoking with Felix was fun.  _ He purred as Alucard rubbed behind his ears, letting them stay in existence.  _ I like my ears out…. _

 

“Okay. I’d like that.” Alucard rinsed out his hair and fur, draining and refilling the tub multiple times as he washed him, glad when the water finally ran clear and he could properly shampoo him.  _ Good.   _

 

Terrance was purring the entire time, his eyes slowly unclouding and becoming less hazy.  _ Fuck, I’m still kinda hungry.  _ “What snacks do we have?”  _ I thought I ate them all for my heat. _

 

“Hm….. I might have to go on a snack run….. I can bring you with.”  _ Snaaaaaaacks…  _

 

“L-Like out of the house?”  _ I…. I haven’t really left the house unless it was to go hunting... _ He looked like a puffed out puppy as Alucard picked him up and started to dry him off with towels.  _ I’m cute… I can tell by how he’s looking at me... _

 

“Mhm… do you wanna come with?”  _ Please?  _ Alucard dried him off, soon showering his face and head with kisses.  _ You’re so damn cute….  _

 

“But I don’t usually go with you.” Terrance looked at Alucard’s neck, a desire for more pooling in his gut. He sniffed at his neck, licking it and wanting to bite down on it.  _ Want it, want blood... _

 

Alucard chuckled, smirking. “You want some? Have some…”  _ Take whatever you want…  _

 

Terrance didn’t need a another moment before he was at Alucard’s neck biting into it and drinking from him, his body slowly relaxing and slowly going into shock as he consumed more and more.  _ Blood, I like his blood, it’s really really good…  _ He couldn’t even hold onto Alucard anymore, his limbs going limp and his mouth barely moving.  _ Feels so good…  _

 

Alucard was shocked as Terrance slumped, catching him.  _ Fuck, he’s gonna OD….. fuckfuckfuck…. _

 

_ Get it out of him!!!  _

 

Alucard took Terrance to the toilet, getting him to kneel and resting a hand on the back of his neck, pressing a wave of nausea through him, relieved as he vomited up a large amount of blood.  _ You can’t have so much…. fuck…  _

 

Terrance whimpered as he was made to vomit, eventually his whole stomach being emptied of the blood he’d managed to drink. _My body feels really weird…_ He looked up to Alucard with confused eyes. _I feel_ _really weird and really light, but my arms are too heavy to move..._

 

“Tell me what you’re feeling, honey…. I’m sorry…” 

 

_ I can’t move…. it feels weird… it’s hard to breathe…  _ He struggled to take in a full breath, his body slumped against the toilet, his scent sweet. 

 

Drac lifted Terrance up, bringing him into the bedroom and getting him comfortable, petting him. “Just breathe, honey, just breathe…..”  _ It’s okay.  _

 

_ It’s getting harder to breathe, I don’t like this… _ He struggled to whimper, trying to move his fingers but barely able to control them.  _ My body feels so heavy…  _

 

_ Call Lathe.  _

 

_ Calling Lathe.  _ Alucard pulled out his phone and dialed his cell number, relieved when not even a minute later Lathe was at the door with his medic bag.  _ It’s okay.  _

 

Lathe waited for Alucard to let him in, rushing upstairs and kneeling next to Terrance in the nest. “Honey? Honey, it’s Lathe. How are you feeling?”

 

Terrance whimpered as he saw Lathe, struggling to move and unable to do so where he laid.  _ It’s hard…. hard to breathe…  _ His breathing was in short shallow breaths as his eyes started to close, his body almost wanting to shut itself down.  _ My body feels heavy… and I can’t feel my toes…  _

 

“Honey, sit up with me.” Lathe gently rugged him to sit upright, his voice firm. “Breathe with me, okay? Take as deep a breath as you can.” Lathe tried to lead them in taking deep breaths, keeping Terrance’s attention. “Eyes on me, honey.” 

 

Terrance looked up as he was sat up, looking at Lathe with glassy eyes. His breathing got slightly better in the raised position, but his eyes were still starting to close.  _ My head feels heavy….  _ Not even a moment later his head rolled to the side, unable to support it, almost like a newborn. 

 

Lathe moved Terrance to lean up against the wall, moving blankets and pillows to keep him upright and support his neck, looking into his medic bag.  _ I have a small tank of oxygen…. I think he’ll need it….  _ Lathe put the mask over Terrance’s mouth and nose, looking to Alucard. “....I don’t think you should ever let him have this much of your blood ever again.”

 

“I don’t think so either.” 

 

Terrance’s eyes widened a bit as he was receiving more oxygen.  _ It feels… it feels weird….  _ He struggled to take in deep breaths or to move his fingers even the slightest bit.  _ Lathe…. I can’t feel my toes…  _

 

“Keep trying to wiggle them for me, honey. It’s okay if you can’t. The stuff inside you can relax your muscles so much that they won’t let you move them. It’ll go away.” Lathe held onto Terrance’s hand, trying to calm him.  _ It’s okay.  _

 

Terrance looked at him, wanting to nod, but barely able to do that. His eyes moved to Alucard, looking up to him.  _ Why’d his blood make this happen? Why is it hard to breathe?  _

 

“His blood contains a lot of stuff, honey. His blood contains something that makes your muscles all over relax, except for your lungs. Your lungs are affected by something that keeps those muscles tight, so it’s hard for them to expand to allow you to breathe. But it’s okay, it’ll go away.” 

 

_ How long will it take to go away? I don’t wanna stay like this, this is scary… I won’t drink anymore of his blood, I don’t wanna have any more…  _ Terrance was close to tears, beginning to hiccup, which caused his breathing to become even more erratic.

 

“Honey, it won’t last for more than a few hours, come on, stay with me.” Lathe reached to gently pet him, cooing to him. “It’s okay honey, it’s okay, it’ll go away soon enough. This doesn’t happen unless you have a  **lot** of blood. You drank a lot. But you’re gonna be okay, honey. You’ll be okay.” 

 

_ It feels really weird, Lathe I don’t like it….  _ He whimpered, hiccuping and his whole body jerking as he felt his stomach turn.  _ I don’t feel good, I’m scared, I don’t like it... _

 

“I know you don’t like it, honey, but I can’t do much about it. Don’t be scared, honey, it’s okay.” Lathe moved to better hold onto him, letting Alucard come over.  _ He’s scared…  _

 

Alucard wrapped his arms around Terrance, kissing his neck.  _ Maybe I can fix it….  _ His teeth sunk into his flesh, drawing out the venom, taking it back.  _ You don’t need that….  _

 

Terrance whimpered as Alucard started drinking from him.  _ Fuck it hurts! It hurts tell him to stop.  _ He moved his arm to try and push his head back and away from his neck.  _ It hurts, it really fucking hurts... _

 

Alucard released him, smiling softly as he managed to lift up his arms.  _ Better… _ “.....are you sure there’s nothing else we can do?”

 

_ Bucket… I need a bucket, I’m gonna be sick…  _ Terrance struggled to move, trying to figure everything out.  _ I want throw up…  _ “S-Stop….”  _ I feel like I’m gonna throw everything up... _

 

“Bucket.” Lathe pet Terrance gently, rubbing his back as he leaned over the bucket Alucard quickly retrieved. “Don’t try to stop it, let it happen…”  _ It’s okay…. _

 

Terrance nodded and proceeded to vomit more blood, filling the bucket halfway before he slumped to the ground, curling up to himself.  _ It burns, my throat burns…. that tasted awful. _

 

“Alucard, get him some nice cool water okay?” Lathe sat Terrance back up, letting him lean back and helping to rinse his mouth out, smiling as he managed to wiggle his toes.  _ You’re doing better.  _ “You can sleep if you feel like it, honey, we’re gonna make sure you breathe okay.” Lathe replaced the oxygen mask, petting his fluffy ears.  _ It’s okay.  _

 

Terrance purred as he was pet, as best as his lungs would allow. He was starting to breathe better, the venom’s effects lessening.  _ I’m tired, really fucking tired... _

 

Lathe let Alucard hold onto Terrance as he slept, agreeing to stay for the night, napping in a pile of blankets in the nest nearby. He woke up when he heard whines, looking up to see Terrance tugging on Alucard’s shirt, whining for food.  _ He’s fine.  _

 

Terrance whined, tugging at Alucard’s shirt frantically as his stomach growled. “I want more food, Ali I want food…”  _ I want a lot of food, I’m really hungry…  _

 

Alucard woke with a start, smiling softly. “Okay, okay. Good morning. I’ll get you two food.” Alucard kissed Terrance’s nose before setting him down, heading downstairs.  _ Food.  _

 

Lathe smiled, going to stretch, feeling his own ears and tail pop out, rolling around in the nest lazily.  _ Comfy… warm….. it could use nicer smell… want it to smell nice.  _

 

Terrance looked over at Lathe, moving to curl up to him. “Thank you… for coming last night.”  _ I felt better after you came… Alucard let me drink too much.  _ He slowly started to let his scent out in the room. 

  
Lathe smiled and gathered the omega up in his arms, petting him. “It’s okay…. I wanted you to be okay. You’re gonna have to be a bit more careful about drinking from him.” Lathe soon plopped them down, rolling with him in the blankets, yawning.  _ They need happier scents... _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please Comment:
> 
> I love to hear your thoughts about my writing! Thanks!
> 
> ~Duke


	6. The Good Omega

Terrance purred as he was pet. “You…. you smell like an Alpha, so you have an Alpha?” _I don’t get it, you’re an omega… but you’ve never smelled like an Alpha before…._

 

Lathe stopped, completely flushing. “Oh, uhm…. there’s this guy from the hospital I’m dating… he’s really nice, and… I might’ve let him scent me….” _All over…_

 

Terrance nodded, looking towards the door. “S-So… your son…. he… he was here? And h-he helped?” _He’s a vampire though… and you’re a werewolf?_

 

“Levi’s…. he’s my son’s mate…. he’s not blood, but he’s always going to be a son to me… I love him.” _He’s been so good for my son, and he’s kind and helps around the house… I really like him._

 

“Does…. does he have a scent? Levi?” _Drac and Ali don’t have any scent… I want them to have a scent, they only have knots…_ “Is he an Alpha?”

 

“He does, a really strong one… he goes out and scents the entire property every week because he’s so territorial…. he’s an alpha, yeah….”

 

Terrance nodded. _He covered up Alucard’s scent, always…._ “Does…. Does your Alpha like you? What are your dates like?” _We don’t go on dates…._

 

Lathe turned pink, looking away in embarrassment. “I really hope he likes me… I’m pretty sure he does at least a little…. he likes to scent me at least a little when he sees me… we’ve been on a couple dates, some are just getting coffee or lunch, dinner once or twice…. nothing too big has happened yet….” _I was too scared to try and give him everything… but he scented me everywhere… I loved that…_

 

“Is…. is he a vampire, or is he a werewolf too?” _He smells like a werewolf, but Levi smells like a werewolf too…. I don’t know what to make of it..._

 

“He’s a werewolf…. he’s pretty big too…” _He’s huge in wolf form…. …..and he smells really nice…_

 

“Does-does h-he take you outside of the house? Is he…. is he gentle with you?” _Is an Alpha supposed to be gentle? Ali’s always rough with me…_

 

Lathe completely flushed. “...he’s really nice and gentle with me…. and yeah, we leave the house….. what….” Lathe listened for another moment, his eyes wide. “....do you not leave the house, honey?”

 

Terrance shook his head. “N-No, I don’t leave when Ali’s not home…. I don’t know what’s around here… I-I haven’t left since we… since we made my nest… except when I go hunting…. but I stayed… stayed in the backyard.” _I don’t leave…. I don’t… and Ali doesn’t take me out. I stay here when he’s home too..._

 

 _…..oh. My god._ “Honey…. ….is Ali rough with you? Do you like the way he treats you?”

 

“He’s rough with me…. but he’s always been rough with me…… why?” Terrance looked up to him with curious eyes. “Is he supposed to be gentle too?” _Am I not supposed to have collars? Or go in the cage?_

 

“.....stay here a bit, honey… I wanna go talk to Ali, okay?” Lathe kissed his nose and tucked him in, storming downstairs. _He’s gonna die._ Lathe came into the kitchen, turning off the burners and dragging Ali into the living room by the ear. _Cooking can wait._ “Excuse the fuck out of me, but what’s this I’m hearing about Terrance never leaving the fucking house? ...about Terrance being in a collar and cage? And about you never being gentle with him? I don’t give a fuck if rough is your thing, he’s an innocent bean that doesn’t know to ask for anything else. The fuck is wrong with you?”

 

 _What the fuck? The fuck is he on about?_ “I didn’t know that, I thought he was going out to the stores while I was away, he’s got access to everything, and the cage and collar is a kink, don’t kink shame me dammit!” He grumbled as his ear was finally released, rubbing at it. “Jesus Christ, you would think you were his mother!”

 

“Well calm down with the kinky hair for a while, it doesn’t sound like you’ve quite earned it yet. He’s only been hunting in the backyard for his food. Tell me, how many times has he been to a grocery store? Does he even have any fucking money?”

 

“At least twice…” _I’ve dragged him twice…_ “And I showed him how to use a credit card and loaded a fuck ton of money on that, so yes, he has fucking money, I’m not a fool.” _Has he really only been hunting for food?_ Alucard’s brow furrowed. _Do you know anything about this._

 

_No, I had no idea. I thought when he gave us shopping lists that was just his weekly intake, not what he needed for the entire time we were gone._

 

“.......well then. He needs a lot more training in how to be independent. You need to take him to the store, give him a list, and have him do everything himself and only help when he asks for it. Make sure he knows how to use a credit card, everything. But you’ve got work to do.” _You have to do shit._ “I’m gonna let you get back to cooking, but your plans for today are to get him to the store. He’s been in the house for a really long time and needs to use his damn legs.”

 

Alucard swallowed thickly and nodded. “I can manage that, we can do that… I’ll have Drac teach him… and make sure that he knows everything.” _If I teach him I’ll do it wrong and he'll get arrested…_

 

_Don’t worry, I’ll take care of it. Now go finish making him food, we don’t want to keep him waiting._

 

Lathe nodded, his voice firm. “You might as well learn a bit about taking care of him too. At least learn to be gentler with him.” Lathe turned to go back upstairs, joining Terrance back in the nest. _Hi, honey._

 

“Hi.” He looked up with big eyes, whining a little as Lathe stood there soon grabbing him and pulling him down into the nest. “Does your Alpha spend your heats with you?” _I’ve been hiding from Ali for most of them, it’s easy when he’s away…._

 

“....I haven’t had a heat yet while he’s been my boyfriend….. he’s not… he’s not even technically my mate… we haven’t…. we haven’t mated yet….” Lathe gently pet Terrance. “I’m so sorry he hasn’t been here for them…. if you need someone to come over and make sure you eat and drink, I could come check on you during them….”

 

“H-He was here for the last one….” Terrance blushed at the memory. “Do….Do you think he’ll want pups?” _He’ll want pups eventually right? We’ll have pups eventually right?_

 

“.......I hope so….. he likes Eren and Levi…. but… I want pups so bad….. I really hope he wants a lot… or that he’ll be okay with a lot…..” _I want pups…_

 

“Do you think Ali will want pups? Or… or will he not want any?” _I’m starting to get to my prime for fertility…. my heats will be more potent soon._

 

“I don’t know…. he’s got a lot of stuff still going on….. you’ll have to see, honey…. but you two really should talk about it. …...just how old are you, honey?”

 

“I’m…. I’m 17 now…. 223 Moons….” Terrance looked towards the door for a bit before looking back at Lathe. “Are you going to leave? Or are you going to stay for food….”

 

 _Fuck, he’s young…._ “I can stay if you want me to, honey.” Lathe hugged Terrance a bit closer, petting him. _My baby…. you need to stay safe…_

 

Terrance purred happily as he was pet, moving to scent Lathe, but only managing to cover himself in Lathe’s Alpha’s scent. _It smells really weird, really really weird… I don’t like it._ He began to whine instantly, trying to rub the scent off in some of the sheets but only making the problem worse.

 

Lathe sighed, pulling Terrance up. “Do you wanna wash it off? I’m sorry…. his scent sticks everywhere….” _It’s really strong…_

 

Terrance nodded and looked towards the hallways. “Bath….” He got up and scampered to the bathroom and started up the hot water. _I like hot water…. it feels nice on my skin..._

 

Lathe let him go, curling up in the sheets, letting himself shift to his wolf form, stretching out like a cat.

 

Alucard soon came upstairs to call them to breakfast, surprised to see Lathe in the nest as a wolf. _Wow, he’s big._

 

_I like his fur._

 

 _It’s very nice._ “Lathe? Breakfast. Is Terrance in the bath?”

 

Lathe nodded, getting up and going to bonk his head against Alucard’s legs. _Food._ His tail wagged as he was pet, shifting and standing up to full height. “So, uhm…. Terrance is 17.”

 

Alucard looked at Lathe with confusion. “17? So I picked him up when he was 15? Holy shit, but we met in a bar???” _How the hell is he that young?_

 

“.....how the fuck did you manage that?” Lathe looked concerned, following him downstairs. “You’re gonna have to ask him why they let him in the bar….” _Huh._

 

Alucard shook his head, groaning as he settled a plate down in front of Lathe. _Fuck it. Drac, your turn…_

 

_Why do you give me the difficult situations?_

 

_You’re better at dealing with them…._

 

 _Fair point._ It didn’t take much longer before Drac took over, looking at Lathe and speaking with his heavy accent. “Tell me if you want anything else, okay?”

 

“Oh, hi Drac. Thank you.” Lathe smiled softly, looking to his plate and picking up his fork. “Alucard leaving you with the mess?”

 

“As he usually does, I can’t believe he’s only 17…. holy shit that’s young…..” _Really young…_ Drac sat down at the table, rubbing his temples. _He doesn’t seem like he’s that young..._

 

“It really is… my only question really is how he managed to get alcohol at a bar…. but werewolves reach sexual maturity around 3 and fertility peaks at 17…. we tend to grow up fast.” _Yeah._

 

Drac looked up at that. _Sexual maturity at age three? That seems ridiculous…_ “He’s already hitting his fertility stage too?” _Oh fuck, we’re gonna have to get him on contraceptive…_

 

“Yeah…. but if you want to really try for pups…. good luck… male omegas have a much, much lower fertility rate than female omegas, and even human females in general…. it’s tough to conceive…” _I hate it…._ “But you’ll definitely still need him on the pill, don’t think you can get away without it…..”

 

Drac nodded. “I’ll get him on the pill, we don’t need to have any pups anytime soon..” _I don’t know if I’d really want pups anyways. You’d probably murder them._

 

 **_Excuse_ ** _me?_

 

_You would, the second one of the pups starts wailing you’d strangle them to death._

 

Terrance could hear their conversation from the steps, looking down at his abdomen and sighing quietly. _Alpha doesn’t want pups, okay, I’ll make sure to get on the pill._ He was quiet as he came into the kitchen to get a plate of breakfast and sit near Drac at the table. _I’ll be a good omega for him…._

 

Lathe looked up at Drac, his brow furrowed. _He can’t understand him…_ “Would you ever want any?”

 

Drac shrugged, watching as Terrance ate in small pieces like he always had. _He’s barely eating again…. shit, he seemed so eager for food earlier…_ “I’m not sure…”

 

Terrance kept quiet as he picked at his food. _He might never want pups, but that might be for the best…_

 

 _….if you two do end up having them, on purpose or on accident, I really fucking hope you’ll still love him…._ Lathe became quiet, the three of them eating slowly. _...I’m worried… Terrance is gonna want pups…._

 

Terrance glanced over to Lathe as he lost interest in his food. _It’s okay Lathe, if I don’t have any, I don’t have any…._ He looked down to his barely-touched plate, moving to put in plastic wrap and into the sparse fridge. “Drac, can you go shopping today?” _I’ll need to get some more food…_

 

“Do you want to come with me?” Drac looked up from his plate, sighing as Terrance shook his head. “You should come out with me, leave the house…” _Please?_

 

“I um…. I don’t think that’s a good idea Drac… I-I’ll… I’ll make a list for you.” _I don’t really like going out of the house, the house is safe and my Dad won’t find me..._

 

_….honey? What’s this about your Dad?_

 

Terrance froze where he was, looking back at Lathe with scared eyes. _He can’t find me, he can’t find me anymore, he’s gone, but I want to stay home so I make sure he doesn’t find me…_ He looked terribly frightened as he held onto his arms, starting to shake.

 

Lathe immediately got up, going to hold onto Terrance, cooing to him. _It’s okay, I’m sorry… I know you’re scared, but you’re gonna be okay…. you’d have Drac with you, he’ll keep you safe, no matter what…. it’s okay, honey…._

 

Terrance whimpered but calmed down easily with Lathe holding him. “I… I don’t think it’s a good idea to leave…” _I don’t wanna go, what if he drags me away…._

 

_….I’m so sorry honey… ...when’s your birthday?_

 

“Two m-moons ago….” _That’s my birthday… I only know it in moons…._ “Wh-Why?”

 

“....he wasn’t here for your birthday?” Lathe looked up at Drac, sighing. “...did you know when his birthday was?”

 

Drac felt his heart sink as he looked to Terrance who shook his head. “No, he never mentioned it…..” _Oh shit, I’m gonna get a talking to…_

 

Terrance shook his head looking back towards the fridge. “It’s okay, I made pancakes for myself…” _It was okay, even without him…_

 

 _….fuck, he made himself his own birthday pancakes…._ Drac stood up, going to hug Terrance, kissing his head. “I’m so sorry, honey…. I’m sorry….” _……...we’re getting him a gift._

 

 _What’s this_ **_we_ ** _you’re mentioning? I’m shit at giving gifts._

 

_You’re gonna help, bitch._

 

Terrance looked at him with confusion. “Why are you sorry?” _I’m so confused… why is he sorry? Why does he keep saying sorry?_

 

“I wasn’t here for your birthdays… I didn’t make you birthday pancakes, or do anything special…. I’ll make it up to you.” _I’m sorry._

 

“But it was… it was like my birthdays from before…” Terrance murmured and rubbed against Drac as he was held. _He doesn’t have a scent..._

 

Drac kissed his head, sighing. “Birthdays are supposed to be special…. I know you’re used to it being like any other day…. but I want to do something nice for you.” _I want to._

 

“But it was two moons ago? I’ll make a list for food o-okay?” Terrance looked over Drac’s shoulder to Lathe. “Thank you for coming over last night…. I really appreciate it…”

 

“Of course…. anything to keep you safe.” Lathe kissed Terrance’s head. “I’m going to get going, okay? I’ll see you later, honey. Call me anytime if you wanna talk.” _I’ll be there._

 

Terrance nodded and smiled softly, looking up to Drac as he was held. “S-So I’ll make a list…” _I’ll make sure to add some jars of peanut butter to it… those’ll last a while..._

 

“....okay.” Drac kissed him softly before letting him go, heading upstairs to get dressed and ready, moving a few scraps of fabric off of the dresser, thinking. _…...he loves sewing, right?_

 

_Yeah……?_

 

_……….oh my god._

 

_…..that’s perfect!! He needs one!!_

 

Drac quickly washed up and dressed, heading back downstairs, kissing Terrance deeply before he left the house. _I love you._

 

Terrance made sure he had the list, surprised and blushing as he was kissed deeply and held gently. _He’s… he’s being gentle._ Terrance went back to one of the spare rooms to stay sewing a quilt together by hand. _It’ll be fine… it’ll come out just fine..._

 

Drac read over the list once he was in the car, pausing as he saw one of the items on the list. _Birth control._ He went back inside, gently knocking on the door. “Honey?” He stepped into the spare room, his voice soft. “If you want birth control, you’d have to come with me… ...and I’m sorry about what I said earlier… we’re just not ready for pups. But someday I think it’d be nice….  but for your heats and just whenever, it’s a good idea…. until we’re bonded and ready.”

 

Terrance looked up to him. “So…. so I need to come with you to get it?” _I know you don’t want pups… we probably won’t be having pups._ _He hasn’t bonded me yet…. but I guess that’s a good thing, he’s probably waiting for me to tell him I’m getting a house…_ Terrance settled his things down, quiet as he made his way to go get properly dressed. “I’ll go with you then.”

 

“Okay, babe.” _….he should probably be there to pick it out._

 

_What? And ruin the surprise?_

 

_Dude, I know nothing about sewing machines. I want him to talk to a person about what he wants to do and get whatever can do it._

 

Terrance came out of the room in his tight jeans and a hoodie. “Okay, I’m ready…” His voice was quiet as he meandered down the stairs and towards the car out in the driveway. _We’re going to get birth control… Won’t have to worry about heats anymore..._

 

“Okay…” Drac meandered over, gently catching his hoodie and pulling him close for a soft kiss. _I love you._ He soon broke away from him, guiding him to the door. “You look really good….” _I like it._

 

Terrance blushed from his ears down to his neck. _He…. he kissed me?_ He slipped into the door as soon as it was opened, making sure he buckled up. _He’s being nice…. I mean, it is Drac….._

 

Drac smiled as Terrance flushed, starting their drive. _We’re going to get the birth control part out of the way…_ He drove them to their closest pharmacy, getting out of the car and going to Terrance’s side. “We’re going to get this out of the way, Hun. Don’t worry, it’ll be fine.” _Promise._

 

Terrance nodded, looking down as he got out and holding onto his elbows as they walked in and towards the pharmacy. _I don’t know what to think…_

 

Casper looked up from his computer as he noticed two figures walking towards the desk, smiling as they came up to him. “Hello! How can I help you?” _He’s hiding- I need to fix that._

 

Terrance shifted behind Drac as Casper spoke. _I don’t know him…. I don’t wanna…_ He shook a bit still as he clung to Drac.

 

Drac reached to move Terrance to his chest, holding him protectively, trying to calm him down. “Uhm, my mate needs birth control…” _Oh my…_

 

Casper smiled softly as he and Terrance looked at each other, nodding. “Okay, we can do that… honey?” Casper looked worried with how scared Terrance looked. “It’s okay honey, I’m not gonna hurt you.” Casper instinctively let his omega scent drift over to him. _It’s okay…. it’s okay, honey…_

 

Terrance looked at Casper with confusion as he smelled omega scent drifting towards him, slowly relaxing. He slowly let go of Drac and looked at Casper with innocent eyes. _I’ll be okay with him, he smells nice..._

 

Casper smiled, motioning for him to come to the desk, pulling up a file on his computer. “Okay, honey, we need to get all your information filled out, okay? What’s your name?”

 

“Terrance… Terrance Mytzcoroff.” He spelled out his last name for Casper, fidgeting in the seat. _I hope I’m not on file… he’ll tell Dad..._

 

Casper hit enter, the system simply moving to the next lines. “Your birthday?”

 

“A...A little over two moons ago…” _That’s when it was..._

 

Casper looked a bit perplexed, thinking and pulling up google. “How old are you right now, honey?”

 

“223 moons…. s-seventeen…” _That’s how old I am…_

 

 _Moons…_ Casper immediately started to google, nodding. “You’re just about seventeen, then… what did the moon look like on your birthday?” Casper showed him his screen, a chart of phases of the moon. _Tell me. We’ll figure this out._

 

Terrance pointed at a waxing gibbous moon, looking down at his lap as he twiddled his thumbs. _I don’t know if we’ll find out my actual birthday..._

 

Casper typed for a few more minutes, looking perplexed, laughing when he finally found the right thing. “You’re not gonna believe this…. you were born February 29th.” He grinned. “That only happens once every four years, and you managed to have your birthday then. Lucky.” He smiled, writing down the birth date. _Lucky._

 

“What do you mean it only happens every four years?” _I don’t understand… I don’t get it, am I only 4 then?_

 

“So, we have 365 days in a year. Yes?” He watched Terrance tentatively nod. “Well, the year is split up like that so that every day is exactly one rotation of the earth, because the earth spins. Well, that number is a bit off. We have a quarter of a day extra that we’re not accounting for every year. So, to make up for that, we add an extra day every four years to keep it balanced. We put it at the end of February, which normally only has 28 days. You were born during one of those leap years, on the 29th. You’re still 17, but most people celebrate those birthdays either on the 28th or the first of March when it’s not a leap year.” _It’s a whole thing._

 

Terrance looked down and nodded. _So I don’t have a birthday every year anyways._ “So I only get pancakes every four years?” He looked back at Drac with confusion, struggling to process everything.

 

“No, you can have them every year. But we’ll have to pick either March 1st or February 28th to do the celebrating.” _We’ll pick._

 

Terrance nodded, and looked back to Casper. “What else d-do you need to know…” _I don’t know if you need more.._

 

“Not much more, honey. Where do you live?” Casper looked up to him.

 

Drac rattled off the address for him, his hand on Terrance’s shoulder.

 

“Okay, then. Height? Weight? We can measure those now if you don’t know.” _We can do that._

 

Terrance nodded, looking down a bit as he moved to get up and was ushered to the scale. _I don’t like standing on these things..._

 

Casper has him take off his shoes and the huge hoodie to get a better reading, surprised at the number. _Oh my god._ “....honey, you’re really underweight…. You’re barely pushing ninety pounds…. you need to go eat a steak when you’re done here.” Casper looked a bit concerned as he saw Terrance’s expression. “I don’t know what your relationship with food is and I’m not really the one you’re supposed to talk to about it, but if there’s an issue I might be able to recommend you a doctor…. Only if you need it.” _I don’t know the case, you might already be on it, or maybe it’s a disease or something, who knows…._

 

Terrance looked down, holding onto his arms as he shook slightly. “B-But I’ve… I’ve always been this small….” _I’ve always been like this… is it that bad?_

 

“That really should change, honey…. You need meat on your bones. I’d even want to get you a blood test to see if you’ve got any deficiencies. You probably do…” Casper sighed as he measured him. “....four-foot eleven….” _You’re a little thing…. Smaller than me….._

 

“I’m not five foot yet?” _I thought I would be five feet already… I guess not..._

 

“Not yet, honey. Your weight and diet might have something to do with that. Again, I’d talk to someone about it.” Casper let him put his shoes and hoodie back on, bringing him back to the counter and punching in the information. “Okay, and the last question is species. Human, or…?”

 

“Werewolf…. omega….” He spoke quietly and looked down before up to Drac. _And he’s a vampire… does that have anything to do with it??_

 

“Okay.” _Oh my god, he’s like Lathe! Aaah!_ “Alright. I can get you the proper meds, then. I think we have some around, maybe… one sec….” Casper disappeared into the back, reappearing later with a box. “We did have a box that fits your needs in stock, but we’ll have to reorder for you every month. Here, let’s go over how this works.”

 

Terrance watched him, listening to him with an almost blank stare as he went through the box. _They smell weird, I can really smell them…_ “Huh?” _What he say?_ Terrance looked at Casper with confusion. _What he say?_

 

Casper sighed, smiling good-naturedly. “You gotta listen, honey, it’s important. I’ll write them down for you too in case you forget. You too, you’d better remember so you can make sure he takes them.” _…..I’m not too sure what their relationship is… I’m kinda worried for him…_

 

Terrance nodded, trying to pay attention. “I’m s-sorry, I’ll listen…” _I need to take them properly and be a good omega for alpha..._

 

“I’ll make sure that he takes them properly, he’ll need to…” _We can’t have pups running around, he’s too young._ Drac looked down to Terrance and settled a hand on his shoulder to try and calm him down.

 

Casper nodded, patiently re-explaining everything to him. “It’s fine honey. You got all that?” He watched Terrance nod. “Okay. I’m gonna be sending you home with the instructions too, so don’t worry. ...would you like me to recommend a doctor to you? It’s okay if you’d rather not. But he’s an omega werewolf like you, so I think he’d be good if you were interested.” _A total sweetheart… he’ll mother hen you into good health._

 

“Who-Who is it?” _I wanna know, I wanna be a good omega for Alpha…_ “H-He’ll help me get bigger, r-right?”

 

“He could help at least get you on a proper diet, see what vitamins you’re lacking. His name is Dr. Lathe Quo- I can get you his number.” _He’ll want to help…_

 

“L-Lathe is a Doctor?” _I didn’t know that…._

 

“He lives across the street from us…” Drac explained as Casper gave them an odd look.

 

“Oh! That’s perfect. If you already know him a bit I think it’d make it a bit easier. ...but really. You should call him over sometime soon and talk about getting blood work done and filling in those nutritional gaps. There’s still time to fill them and get you to five feet or more. And you’ll feel better in general too.” _You’d need it._

 

“Oh…. Okay…” Terrance looked to Drac and down to his box of birth control. “Can… can we go home?” _I wanna go home… I wanna be a good omega, and I want to take the birth control and then go talk to Lathe..._

 

“Can you hold on for one more errand? I want to do something I think you’ll like with you.” _You should be there to pick it out._ “It’s okay to say no, though.” _That’s fine._

 

Terrance shook his head. “I wanna be a good omega…I wanna go talk to Lathe…” He hadn’t even realized what he said aloud as he held onto his red coat. _I wanna be a good omega..._

 

“.....honey… you don’t need to worry about being a good omega for me… you can pick whatever **you** want to do. Don’t just pick what you think will make me happy.” _Please…. it’s okay…._

 

“I… I wanna go home…I want to take my pills and talk to Lathe.” _I need to be a good omega…_ Terrance looked at Drac with slightly terrified eyes before looking at Casper with the same eyes. _I wanna go home..._

 

Casper nodded, his soft smile reassuring. _Something’s wrong._ “It’s okay, Terrance. I’ll need you to pay before you can go.” Casper accepted Drac’s credit card, soon sending them off before immediately texting Lathe. _He’s so scared… and bent on being a good omega…. something’s really wrong…._

 

**CO: Do you know a Terrance Mytzcoroff?**

**LQ: Yeah, He lives across the street from me… why, what’s up?**

**CO: He came in with his ‘mate’ looking for birthcontrol… the whole situation seemed weird. He was hellbent on being a good Omega for him...**

**LQ: As far as I know, he’s pretty new to everything in civilization…. he didn’t know what basic things were, and his diet is minimalist to put it lightly… he and Drac have to overhaul their relationship… Terrance doesn’t know better about anything, really...**

**CO: He’s 4’11” and weighs barely 90 lbs… He’s not healthy Lathe, and you might have him knocking at your door soon, I recommended you for him to get better.**

**CO: Also he told me he was 223 moons old… his birthday is February 29th.**

**LQ: I knew he was 17 and only ate little bits… but I didn’t know it was that bad**

**LQ: In that case I’m going to get some soup going for him**

**LQ: I’ll get him fixed up, Casper**

**LQ: Don’t worry**

**CO: He seemed so scared, can you make sure you show him how to take the birth control, there’s notes in the pack, he needs to keep taking everything daily…**

**CO: So are they new? I don’t ever remember you mentioning them before…**

**LQ: I never see him around…. I never really saw him much lately and I kinda assumed he’d moved out…. ...he doesn’t like to leave the house…. he’s scared his father is going to find him… he’s a minor, and he ran away, so….**

**CO: So how did Drac end up with him exactly? Please don’t tell me he was trafficked?**

**LQ: Apparently they met at a bar… from what I can tell, Terrance is okay with being in a relationship with Drac… but he doesn’t know what is and isn’t a quality of a good relationship, which is a bit troubling….**

**CO: Well I know someone else who forgot about that, at least he’s doing better now.. we’re gonna be moving him to the new place by you guys soon…**

**LQ: That’s good- I’ll have you guys over for dinner once you’ve settled in a bit. You two better prepare for the amount of food I’m going to be sending you once you’re here**

**CO: Hmmm, maybe that’ll help with the fertility pills….**

**LQ: You’ll have pups soon, Casper, I know it. It’ll be fine, you’ve still got time.**

**CO: What am I supposed to tell Scotty tho? I don’t know if he’d even understand in his drugged up state...**

**LQ: ...I really don’t know… it’s gonna be difficult, I know, but when he’s doing okay without so many meds all the time, you two need to really talk….**

**CO: I guess you’re right about that one… okay, well take care of Terrance, he’s jumpy, and scared easily from what I saw.**

**LQ: Okay, I will. Just hang on, Casper, it’ll be okay <33333**

 

It wasn’t even a minute later before Terrance was knocking lightly at Lathe’s door, pulling on his hoodie as he waited. _Drac went to go shopping…. I wanna talk to Lathe, I wanna be a good omega..._

 

Damien looked up and towards the door as he heard a knock. “I got it!” _You’re making food for someone, I can get the door._ He walked briskly to open the front door, opening it and looking down to a very small omega. “Hello, can I help you?” His voice was soft as he spoke, not wanting to scare him away. _What’s he doing here?_

 

Terrance froze as an Alpha opened the door, taking quite a few steps back before he recognized the scent. _It’s Lathe’s Alpha…should I even be interrupting? Probably not._ “N-No…. I’ll-I’ll go b-back h-home…”

 

“Is that Terrance?” Lathe set down his knife and quickly rinsed his hands, coming running. “Honey!” Lathe watched Damien step back to make way, chuckling and going to hug Terrance. “Hi honey, come in, you’re not interrupting anything.” He brought him inside, kissing his head. “Do you want anything to drink, honey? I’m making soup, you can have some when it’s done…” _I wanna take care of you._

 

Terrance followed Lathe inside to the kitchen, looking around at all the food that was everywhere. _How do they eat all of it?_ “C-Can I have h-hot c-cocoa?” Terrance was still gripping at his hoodie as he found himself drenched in Damien’s scent just by passing the alpha. _Drac’s scent is gone already..._

 

“Of course honey. I’m sorry, Damien’s got a really sticky scent.” Lathe went to get a mug, starting to get his cocoa together. “And believe me, we somehow manage, Damien especially. I don’t know where he puts all of it.” Lathe smiled softly, sitting Terrance at the kitchen table, the chairs big enough to curl up in, soon setting a mug of hot cocoa in front of him. “Be careful in case it’s too hot, honey.”

 

Terrance nodded, curling up in the chair he was in before grabbing the hot mug. He sipped at the hot drink, sighing in bliss as he did, his whole body warming up. “The…. The man at the drugstore t-told m-me to come t-talk to you…” _I wanna be a good omega for Alpha…._

 

“Okay…. what did he say, honey?” Lathe let the soup simmer, coming over to sit with him with a mug of coffee. _It’s okay…_

 

“H-He said I was… was really small, and and that I needed to eat more…” Terrance looked down tugging at his hoodie. “But I don’t know h-how….”

 

“Well, you are rather small for someone your height, and you don’t eat much… how much do you weigh, honey?”

 

“88 pounds…. h-he said I was barely pushing 90…..” _I don’t know what that means…._

 

“.....honey…. that’s so small….” Lathe sighed, thinking. “....you should probably have bloodwork done to see what vitamins your diet is lacking… I can almost guarantee there’s something missing. ….and you’re just gonna have to try to eat more in general, honey. You need to put on more weight.” _You really need to._ “I don’t want to scare you, honey, but it’s the truth.”

 

 _I have to eat more?_ “O-Okay.” He sipped at his hot cocoa some more, looking at his knees which were pulled up to his chest.

 

“I’m not saying that you have to eat so much that it makes you sick… but you barely eat anything, honey. A couple carrots at a time isn’t working.” Lathe sighed, giving him a soft smile. “I can teach you how to cook some stuff if you like…. But I want you to eat well. I’ll send over some stuff sometimes. We can’t just let you be a bag of skin and bones.” _Nope._

 

Terrance nodded, looking to where Lathe was cooking. _Okay, I guess I can do that…. I’ll try and eat some more…_ He sipped at his hot cocoa, looking back towards where the door was. _Where’d his alpha go?_

 

“Oh, crap, that’s right, I forgot to introduce you. Damien?” Lathe went to the front of the house, fetching Damien from the living room. “Damien, this is Terrance, he lives just across the street. Terrance, this is my boyfriend Damien.” _He’s nice, don’t worry._

 

“Hi, it’s a pleasure to meet you Terrance.” Damien held out his right hand to shake, confused when he got a scared look. _Huh?_

 

Terrance looked terrified as Damien held his hand out to him. _Is he gonna hit me? He’s gonna hurt me… just like Dad did._ Terrance curled up further into himself setting the mug down and holding his knees close to his chest with his arms wrapped around his legs. _He’s gonna hurt me..._

 

 _Oh no…._ “Honey, Damien isn’t gonna hurt you, he’s a sweetheart… I promise.” Lathe held onto Damien’s arm with one hand, reaching to gently pet Terrance with the other. _It’s okay, honey…. he’s my boyfriend, he’s so nice…_

 

Terrance flinched as he was pet but soon caved in and let his ears pop up so that Lathe could pet him. _He’s… he’s nice, right?_ He glanced up to Lathe with still terrified eyes as he glanced over to Damien.

 

 _He’s very nice… he’s always treated me well and he treats everyone he meets with respect…. it’s okay, honey. I promise._ Lathe smiled, letting his calming scent out.

 

Terrance soon unfurled, keeping his eyes on Damien’s hands as he shifted in the chair. “H-Hi…” His voice was tiny as he looked up to the huge Alpha. _He can rip me apart with the flick of his wrist..._

 

“Hi, Terrance.” Damien took back his hands, letting the one Lathe was hanging onto wrap around his waist, making a point of being gentle. _It’s okay._ “It’s nice to meet you.” He smiled kindly. _He’s scared of me…. I don’t blame him, he’s_ **_tiny…._ **

 

Terrance looked at him curiously before timidly picking up the mug and finishing it off. _I don’t know what to do… he’s… he’s really really big, he’s even bigger than Lathe! And Lathe is really big!_

 

Lathe looked over as a timer went off, nudging Damien. “Honey, soup is ready! Sit.” He nudged him into a seat diagonal Terrance, soon bringing them both bowls of soup, smiling to Terrance. “It’s beef and barley, you’ll like it. Lots of veggies in it.” _I hope you like it..._

 

Terrance looked at the bowl of soup curiously. _Beef? Like the meat that I hunted for?_ He curiously took the spoon and tried it timidly, not really paying attention to Damien anymore. _It tastes…. it tastes good, but weird..._

 

Lathe could practically see the question mark floating over Terrance’s head, chuckling. “Have you had soup before, Hun?”

 

Terrance shook his head as he ate another spoonful, curling up in the chair. _Smells nice, smells really nice…_ He ate another spoonful and managed to eat a majority of the food before he felt his stomach turn.

 

Lathe smiled as he ate, watching as he pushed it away after a little while. “You don’t have to finish the whole thing, that’s okay. I gave you a lot.” Lathe was happy to finish his off, smiling as Damien got up to take his empty dish. “Thank you-” He flushed completely red as Damien bent over to kiss his cheek, embarrassed. _Aaaaaaah!_

 

Terrance watched, curious. _Does… does he kiss you like that? Is that what he’s supposed to do?.... Ali doesn’t do that to my cheeks..._

 

 _He doesn’t? …..that’s sad…. and he does it all the time…. it’s so embarrassing…_ Lathe jumped a bit as he felt Damien’s hand on his shoulder, melting as his head was kissed. _I love it…._

 

 _Oh…. I um, I should probably go back home and stay with Ali tonight…_ He ducked his head down in embarrassment as Damien continued to kiss Lathe’s head. _Alpha doesn’t do that to me..._

 

 _….are you okay at home, honey? ….is he hurting you?_ Lathe waved embarrassedly to shoo Damien away from his head, sighing as Damien caught his hand and proceeded to peck it before lacing their fingers. _…..You can stay the night if you don’t feel safe at home….._

 

 _He doesn’t hurt me, it’s just us in the house…_ Terrance blushed at the obvious display of affection. “I’m g-gonna go home… i-it was nice m-meeting you…” He timidly got up and held onto his thin arms. _Alpha’ll want me to come home..._

 

“Damien, you’re embarrassing him away.” Lathe jokingly smiled, standing up and going to hug Terrance. _My baby…_ “Come back anytime you want, honey…. or call… whatever you want.” _I’m here._

  
Terrance blushed as he was hugged and nodded before he scampered off and out the door, making sure to close it behind him. He practically bolted across the street to the house, trying the door and quickly realizing that he was locked outside. _Is Alpha not home yet?_ He let out a whimper, sighing and going to sit down on the porch in a section hidden from the road by bushes. _Alpha’s not home?_

 

Drac pulled up about an hour and a half later, carrying a bag of groceries to the front door, jumping when he noticed Terrance. “What are you doing? Are you locked out?”  _ What? _

Terrance looked up at Drac and sniffled before he nodded, slowly unfurling a bit. “Y-Yeah… I-I thought you...you’d be home…”  _ It’s been cold outside too... _

“Honey, I’m so sorry… why didn’t you go stay with Lathe? Did you two talk about stuff?”  _ Is he not home? _

“Y-Yeah… I-I did… b-but he… he has his A-Alpha there…”  _ It was really really weird… he’s really gentle…  _ Terrance stayed curled up to himself as he looked up to Drac nervously.

“....was his alpha being… threatening?”  _ Fuck, his boyfriend scares you? That’s not good… Lathe apparently  _ **_loves_ ** _ them…  _

“N-No… b-but he’s… his scent is-is really strong…”  _ I can still smell him on me, and I won't be able to get it off….  _ His whole face flushed as he curled up tighter and started to cry. “And… and he’s r-really big…” 

_ Fuck…  _ Drac set down the bag and scooped Terrance into his lap, sitting on the porch. “I’m so sorry, honey…. I’m sorry… let’s get you inside and warmed up, okay?” Drac picked him up, getting them inside somehow and settling Terrance in the living room. “Do you want something warm to drink, honey? ….maybe hot cocoa?”  _ You like cocoa…  _

Terrance shook his head, hurriedly taking off his clothes and curling up around himself with a pillow.  _ It still smells like that Alpha, and I don’t like it… I want it to smell like Drac!  _

Drac was surprised as Terrance stripped, thinking.  _ He’s covered in that alpha’s scent…. …..I don’t have a scent.  _

_ …...make one.  _

_ Bu- _

**_MAKE ONE._ **

Drac moved to settle next to him, pulling him close and rubbing their necks together, surprised as he felt strange and Terrance began to vibrate with a purr.  _...the fuck is happening? _

_ Science.  _

_ Uh- _

_ We’re vampires. We can just whatever.  _

Terrance purred happily as he rubbed their necks together.  _ He smells like pine needles…  _ He turned their heads to the other side, lathering his neck with Drac’s scent.  _ I like this, he has a scent! He has a scent now!  _

_ ….Really? Pine? _

_ Wanna see what  _ **_you_ ** _ smell like? _

_ You know what, now I’m curious.  _ Drac switched them, the strange feeling catching him off guard.  _ Oh fuck, that's weird.  _

_ Right?? _

_ He smells different… like woodsmoke….  _ Terrance simply melted as he kept rubbing his neck against Ali’s.  _ I like this… I really like this, Alpha has a really strong scent… he can scent the house... _

Alucard gently held onto Terrance, soon pushing him down to scent him all over, happy with the purrs it earned him.  _ Mine.  _

Terrance let Alucard push him down, purring as he was pinned.  _ Alpha wants me? I’ll be a good omega for Alpha.  _ He trilled, trying to squirm to get his boxers off.  _ Alpha wants it... _

Alucard looked down as Terrance tried to get his boxers off, stopping completely. “...Terrance? ….only if  **you** want it.” He held up his hands, looking concerned. “I’m not making you…. I’m not asking or pleading… whatever  **you** want.”  _ Don’t think you  _ **_have_ ** _ to... _

_ Huh? He’s not… he doesn’t want it?  _ “Huh?” Terrance looked at him with confusion before he pulled off his boxers completely.  _ I thought he wants it…  _

“...Terrance… this… not everything has to lead to sex…” 

_ Good Alucard.  _

_ Fuck you.  _ “We don’t have to. Unless you’re undressing because  **you** want it, I don’t want it. You have a choice.” 

“But… don’t…. don’t you want it? That’s why you pushed me down?”  _ You want me to have sex with you….  _ He looked at Alucard with big eyes.  _ That’s why… isn’t it?  _

_ …..oh shit.  _

_ I trained him to think pushing him down means sex…. ugh.  _ “I just wanted to scent you… believe me, the idea is always nice, but I shouldn’t be forcing you to…..”  _ I shouldn’t.  _ “I’m sorry… I’ve never really let you know you have a choice when it comes to sex….” 

_ Forcing me? But….  _ Terrance watched as Alucard pulled off of him and then handed him back his boxers which he quickly slipped on.  _ Oh…. Alpha doesn’t want sex? But I thought Alpha wanted it... _

Alucard kissed his cheek, letting him dress. “You don’t have to if you don’t want to. It’s okay.” Alucard gently rubbed his neck on his head, his scent in his hair.  _ Mine.  _

_  
Terrance let him scent him, soon shifting to take his clothes upstairs and put them in his dirty clothes that were lathered in his scent so it would get rid of Damien’s scent. He rifled through his clothes to try and find something big and baggy for him to wear, curling up in the nest and slowly getting warmer.  _ Alpha will take care of dinner... _ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please Comment:
> 
> I love to hear your thoughts about my writing! Thanks!
> 
> ~Duke


	7. The Twin Heats

_ …..five fucking weeks…. _

 

_ Bruh….. _

 

_ I just- _

 

_ I know! But- _

 

_ I know…. it sucks.  _

 

_ It does.  _

 

Alucard sighed softly, soon setting a hamburger in front of Terrance.  _ It’s good that you’re eating better…  _ Alucard sat down with his own plate, trying not to make his burning stare obvious.  _ Mine.  _

 

_ What do I do? Every time anything turns the slightest bit sexual it goes to shit… fuck, I think I might need to pull out the big guns…  _ Terrance cleaned his plate, looking down in his lap with frustration.  _ So should I get the collar on….? That’ll work, right? I hope so, I don’t like this…  _ He moved to get up and put his plate in the sink, looking up as the doorbell rang.  _ Should I get it?  _

 

Lathe was anxious as he waited outside, a pie in his hands, smiling when Terrance answered the door. “Hi honey…. I just wanted to check up on you, make sure stuff was okay…..”  _ You’ve been really anxious and fidgety lately and I was worried….  _ “I brought a peace offering…”  _ Pie! Who doesn’t like pie? _

 

“O-Oh… um, come in...W-We just f-finished dinner…”  _ I should probably get a few plates out.  _ “Would… would you l-like a slice… Al-Alucard?” 

 

Alucard came over from the kitchen, seeing Lathe with a pie. “....what flavor.”

 

“Apple.”

 

“Good.”  _ Come hither.  _ He motioned Lathe into the kitchen, rifling for whipped cream while Terrance got out dishes.  _ Pie!! _

 

Terrance pulled out dishes and silverware, trying to calm himself as his and Alucard’s hands brushed, blushing and looking away. “I’ll get the serving knife…” His voice was quiet as his cheeks burned.  _ Fuck I think that’s the most he’s touched me all week, and I feel like my body’s on fire... _

 

Lathe paused as he detected the unmistakable scent of an aroused omega.  _ Ah, shit…  _ “Uhm…. is it not a good time?” Lathe looked between the two of them, unsure. 

 

Terrance shook his head hurriedly. “N-No, stay… p-please?”  _ I wanna talk to you, But Ali’s gonna be here…  _ He shook a little as he came back to cut Lathe a piece of pie. 

 

Lathe nodded, coming back, accepting a plate of pie.  _ What’s wrong honey? Tell me…. _

 

_ We haven’t had s-sex in five weeks and I don’t know what to do… I can’t take it anymore, and every time we get close to anything he asks me if I want it and I just freeze up and I can’t help it… and he backs off… _ Terrance cut another piece for Alucard and a smaller one for himself.  _ I want to have sex again, I want him to hold me, he’s barely touched me... _

 

_ Well shit…. ...it sounds like he’s really trying to make sure you’re okay with sex… either when the time comes you say yes, I want it, or you go up to him yourself and just tell him what you want… ...but that sucks…. I understand….  _

 

Terrance poked at his pie as he looked over to Alucard as he ate his piece.  _ Do… Do you think he would get the idea if I put a collar on and go in the cage?… I really want him to hold me again, it’s really hard sleeping alone… I don’t like it... _

 

_ You’ve even been sleeping alone? Damn…. that just might get it in his head. ……..Damien and I haven’t really done anything yet….. I’m a grown-ass man and I blush and stutter like a schoolgirl around him…. but I don’t have any guts to ask him to stay the night…..  _

 

_ You should ask him… I’ll try and see if me being in the cage will help…  _ He looked up as Alucard finished his plate. “A-Are you gonna b-be in your room upstairs?”  _ You’re probably going upstairs…  _

 

“I will…”  _ I’m suspicious.  _

 

_ Let him be, dude, he and Lathe wanna talk. _

 

Alucard went to rinse his plate, ruffling Terrance’s hair on his way to the stairs.  _ I’ll leave you be.  _

 

Lathe sighed, looking to Terrance.  _ I’m kinda scared to….. ...I haven’t had anyone in bed with me for years, and it’s been longer since it’s been a guy……  _ Lathe was jittery, the thought pleasing to him.  _ Damien……  _

 

Terrance looked at him with surprise as he smelled the faint scent of arousal.  _ You’ll be fine, I know you will… You should call him… I should probably try and get Alucard to hold me tonight… I’m sure your Alpha will take care of you.  _

 

_ …….I want him to come over……  _ Lathe clutched his phone tightly, standing.  _ I’m gonna go, okay? We both have things to do….  _ Lathe was nearly vibrating with nerves. 

 

Terrance nodded, and got up to show Lathe towards the door.  _ You go get your Alpha and I’ll try and entice mine… _ He closed the door behind Lathe, locking it and going towards the laundry room. He carefully got out of his clothes and grabbed his collar, carefully slipping it on as he let out his tail and ears.  _ I hope he’ll come down soon.  _ He grabbed a blanket to lay in the cage.  _ I want him to be okay with everything... _

 

Alucard heard the front door open and shut, hearing quiet rustling for a bit.  _ Hm.  _ The house fell silent, soon too curious for his own good and coming downstairs, looking around. “...Terrance? Babe?” He turned the corner, stunned to see him in the cage, only wearing a collar.  _ Fuck…  _ “....Terrance…..” Alucard knelt next to the cage, his look scalding.  _ Fuck, I want…. mine….  _

 

Terrance whined, pawing at the cage door his tail wagging.  _ I want him to understand. I want him to hold me, and touch me… I really really want him to fuck me too… _ He whined more when Alucard didn't move, yapping at him to try and get him to let him out. 

 

Alucard reached to open the door, watching as Terrance moved into his lap, nearly shaking as Terrance looked up at him. “.....seriously?” He watched Terrance nod, finally letting go and letting his hands run down his arched body, one hand immediately going to the base of his tail.  _ Fuck, I missed this…. _

 

Terrance purred as he was touched, shivering and leaning against Alucard’s chest as the base of his tail was touched.  _ His hands feel so nice.  _ He could already feel his body starting to get warm, slick already starting to leak from him.  _ I want it, I really want it.  _ He whined, pawing at Alucard’s clothes, wanting them off.

 

Alucard chuckled as Terrance impatiently pawed at him, scooping him up into his arms. “....let’s go upstairs….”  _ I want the nest full of your scent…  _ He carried him up the stairs, lying him down in the nest, looking over him.  _ …...fuck, he looks hot……  _

 

Terrance purred as he moved his tail out from under him, he looked up to Alucard, tugging on his clothes still.  _ I want them off, I want them all off.  _ He whined, moving bite at his hands playfully, his tail wagging as he moved to all fours, his sweet scent spiking with even more arousal.  _ I’m making slick for him, and my body feels really really warm…  _

 

Alucard sat back to take off his clothes, smirking as Terrance playfully nipped his hands.  _ You’re so adorable…. _ His look said everything, shedding all of his clothes, moving to get Terrance comfortable, presenting his ass to him.  _ Perfect… and so sweet…  _ Alucard went in to lap at the ring of muscle, moaning at the taste.  _ Fuck….  _

 

Terrance let out a low moan as he arched his back to press his chest to the sheets which lifted his hips.  _ Oh fuck yes, his tongue feels amazing… he’s gonna fuck me right? And give me his knot? I want him to fill me with seed, and with pups... _

 

Alucard took his sweet time eating him out, eventually letting himself pull back, looking over his lithe form.  _ Damn….. I want it…  _ He reached for his hips, pleased that he was filling out. “Ready?”  _ I need it, now…  _

 

Terrance nodded, moving so that he was on his back, his legs spread wide and his hole leaking. “Please?” _ I want you to hold me and kiss me while this is happening…  _

 

Alucard nodded, leaning down to pull Terrance flush to him, kissing up his jaw as he lined himself up, going for a deep kiss as he slid inside.  _ Mine…. mine… all mine….. _

 

Terrance wrapped his arms around Alucard to grab at his shoulders, moaning loudly into the kiss.  _ Fuck it feels so good.  _ He was already breathing hard as his body heated up further, opening easily and more slick forming. “Ali…?”  _ I feel really warm.. _

 

“.....Terrance….?”  _ You smell so sweet…  _ Alucard started to move, listening to his mate’s loud moan.  _ ….. _ **_oh._ ** “Honey, you’re going into heat….” Alucard held him tighter, moving faster.  _ I’ll make him feel really good….  _

 

Terrance nodded, grabbing at Alucard’s shoulders as he moved faster. “St-Stay please? Can I have your knot? I wanna be full of your pups…”  _ I want your seed, wanna be full of your pups.  _

 

“I’m staying, love… I’ll stay… you’ll have my knot….”  _ I’ll give you everything…  _ Alucard murmured into his ear, pinning the omega under him as he rammed into him.  _ MINE.  _

 

Terrance purred happily as he was rammed, starting to drool.  _ It feels so good.  _ He cried out loudly as he grabbed Alucard’s long hair, tugging on it as he came between them and tightened around Alucard for a moment as bliss filled him.  _ Fuck it feels really really good, I feel so warm... _

 

Alucard kept his pace, left Terrance do what he wanted, groaning as he finally came, swelling up inside him.  _ Fuck….  _ He kissed down Terrance’s neck, not hearing a car door slam across the street.  _ Mine… all mine….  _

 

Terrance purred as he curled up to Alucard, his eyes slowly closing as he was held.  _ His hands feel so nice, I don’t want him to let me go.  _ It wasn’t much longer before he woke up to Lathe’s sweet scent coming through the window.  _ Huh? I don't like it, I want my scent! And  _ **_only_ ** _ my scent!  _ He struggled to let out even more of his heat pheromones, rubbing against Alucard as he did. 

 

Alucard woke up, blinking confusedly.  _ The fuck, you don’t smell like that- …...oooooohhh.  _ Alucard let his knot go down, slipping out of Terrance and going to make sure all the doors and windows were shut and locked.  _ Fuck, Lathe’s apparently gotten himself a home run… but I don’t know if I can scent the whole fucking house….  _

 

Lathe was rolling around in his own nest, whimpering.  _ I can still smell him…. I don’t like it!! Make it go away!!  _ Lathe jumped as Damien caught his middle, still weakly squirming and whimpering.  _ Just me and mate…. nobody else….  _

 

Terrance was close to freaking out as Alucard came back with Lathe’s scent practically all over him.  _ No! My alpha! Mine!  _ He grabbed at his wrist, pulling him down and scent marking him everywhere he could, even going as far as biting down on his flesh to leave bite marks where his glands would’ve been. Terrance was all too possessive as he tried to scent the entire room, attempting to get as much of Lathe’s scent as possible out. “Mine…. want Mine…” 

 

Alucard tried to let out his own musk as much as possible, relieved as it sated Terrance for the moment, quickly googling something on his phone while he had time. 

 

_ How the fuck to block scents from entering or leaving rooms- very concise.  _

 

_ I got to the fucking point, dipshit, don’t complain.  _

 

Damien watched as Lathe squirmed in his arms, trying to figure out what was making him go rampant after their first full round of sex, which had triggered his heat. “Lathe, calm down, I’m right here for you, okay?” He slotted their throats together which drenched Lathe in his scent.  _ What the hell is up with him and scenting everything? All I can smell is him in heat?  _

 

Lathe whimpered, clinging to Damien, trying to use words. “O-O-Ome-mega across st-street….. h-heat…. I can s-smell it….”  _ I don’t like it…. ours only…..  _ Lathe buried his nose in Damien’s neck, the rush of hormones flooding his brain and making him numb, pushing his neck up into Damien’s lips.  _ Be mine…… keep me…..  _

 

Damien was surprised as Lathe pushed his glands towards his lips.  _ He’s not thinking straight.  _ “Shhh, don’t worry about it, I’ll go make sure all the windows are closed, okay, can you handle me leaving for five minutes? We can scent block the room then, once I’m done, and you’ll only be able to smell us, okay?”  _ I know you have scent blockers… _ His large hands gently rubbed down Lathe’s back, cupping his butt as he held him close.  _ I want him to be comfortable, he hasn’t had a heat in so long... _

 

Lathe whimpered as Damien didn’t bite his glands, sniffling. “O-Okay…..” He curled up as Damien got up to leave, whimpering and crying when he was gone.  _ I need mate…. doesn’t mate want me? I can be better… I can be better for alpha….  _

 

Damien quickly went through and closed all the windows and locked them, grabbing a case of water and some food that was easy to grab and bring up along with the scent blockers. He went immediately to install them to the windows and door in his room. “I’m here Lathe, don’t worry, we’re going to make everything better and more comfortable, okay?” He settled down once he had everything installed, scooping Lathe up and kissing his forehead and down to his jaw.  _ Everything will work out just fine... _

 

Lathe cling tightly to Damien, trying vainly to offer his glands.  _ ….don’t you want me?  _ “....I-I can do better…. I-If you don’t w-want m-me….”  _ I’ll do better….  _ Lathe was on the verge of a breakdown, holding onto Damien tightly.  _ Mine….  _

 

Damien looked at Lathe with heartfelt eyes. “Lathe, I would really really like to bond with you, but I don’t think you’re thinking straight. I’ll bond with you when you’re out of heat if you still want me to bond with you, Okay? I’m not gonna force you to bond with me…”  _ I don’t want you to feel like you were forced when you come out of this... _

 

Lathe whimpered, nodding, unable to stop the tears, letting Damien wipe them away. “M-M-Mine?” Lathe looked up to Damien with vulnerable eyes.  _ Can I keep you? I wanna keep you…. please? _

 

“You can keep me as long as you want, okay, I’ll stay right here by your side, or I’ll be getting you food to take care of you.” He smiled softly, kissing his tears away as Lathe was settled in his lap.  _ He’s really close to my length, shit, and I’m hard from his scent…  _

 

Lathe smiled, giggling softly, gasping a bit as Damien’s hands went for his ass, instinctively pressing closer, straddling his lap.  _ Want you inside….  _ Lathe whimpered when he was finally filled, whining when he couldn’t move. “....my legs are too tiny….” 

 

Damien chuckled, kissing at his head. “Don’t worry, I’ll make sure you enjoy it.” His voice was low and husky as he held onto Lathe’s ass, slowly picking him up before pushing him back down onto his length.  _ Fuck, he takes everything.  _ “Fuck, Lathe, you’re wonderful…”  _ So fucking tight…  _

 

Lathe panted as he slid up and down Damien’s length, the raw strength and the delicious slide making him harder.  _ Fuck…  _ Lathe’s hands ran over Damien’s muscled shoulders and neck, appreciating every inch of him that he could reach. “.......you’re hot…..”

 

Damien looked at Lathe with dark eyes. “Oh I am, am I?” He crooned loudly, picking up the pace which he was holding onto Lathe with.  _ Fuck he’s so right, this is glorious…  _  “Hmmm, I’ll come spend your heats with you from now on, for as long as you keep me.” 

 

Lathe purred loudly at that thought, gasping as the pleasure spiked, beginning to shake.  _ ….mate….  _ Lathe held onto his shoulders tightly, crying out as he came, releasing even more as he was sunk solidly onto a large knot. “O-Oh god…..”  _ I love it….  _

 

Damien pushed him down, moaning as he came, his knot flaring inside of Lathe, panting a bit as he held his hips. “Better?”  _ I need to make sure you’re better… and not about to freak out because of the omega’s scent…  _

 

“Y-Yeah…..” Lathe needed to hold onto Damien tighter, trying to stop the tears. “I’m sorry, I’m such a crybaby….” Lathe sniffled, hiding in Damien’s shoulder.  _ Mur….  _

 

Damien shook his head, immediately beginning to croon as he held onto Lathe, rubbing his back. “I’m right here, right here Lathe…”  _ I’m not going anywhere. _

 

Terrance was absolutely livid as he could still smell Lathe and Damien and now Levi’s scent started to filter in. He was hissing and very aggressive at anyone coming near him unless it was Alucard.  _ I want their scent gone! And I want them gone now!  _

 

Alucard didn’t know what to do, stunned when he was forced to take a backseat, Drac making a call.  _ Sorry, I have something to do.  _

 

Terrance was still going mad and trying to scent mark everything they owned in the room. He hissed when Drac took the phone, moving to resent him as well.  _ I want my mate to scent my nest!  _

 

It took a few moments before Levi answered the call.  _ “Can I help you?”  _

 

“Levi… uhm, myself and Terrance are a bit at odds with… uh… look, I could hear your Dad distressed across the street a bit ago and Terrance is going fucking insane smelling them… can you get us scent blockers,  **please** ?”

 

There was a heavy sigh on the other end of the phone.  _ “You’ve been ‘with’ him for how long? And this has never posed an issue yet? I can get you scent blockers but he’s not gonna like if I come to the house or if my mate does… you’ll have to come out.”  _

 

“I can do that. And ugh how much I’ve been gone I’ve missed pretty much every heat he’s had. Integra made me leave the very day he came out of one because I had to go track down Anderson.”  _ It’s not fucking simple.  _

 

_ “.... That wasn’t that long ago... Why is he going through another heat so soon?” _ Levi was already on his way out the door with keys and getting into his car.

 

“...it’s a long story. Nothing’s out of whack, he’s fine. But please hurry, he’s getting  **very** upset.”  _ I can’t help him too much... _

 

_ “How many are you going to need? How many windows and doors are near his nest room?”  _ Levi got his phone going through the car as he drove to the store.  _ I’ll need to be quick... _

 

“Uh- two windows and one door. The door is just a normal fucking door, the windows are, uh… maybe two yards? And the other is one yard… both about as tall as you…..” 

 

_ “I’ll get everything, don’t worry…”  _ Levi hung up and got inside the store. He came back knocking on the door of the house ten minutes later with a bag of things.  _ I got enough scent blockers. _

 

Alucard tried to calm down Terrance, pushing him down in the nest, his voice soft and dangerous. “You’re going to stay here, Terrance…. I’ll be back…” He moved to gently suck on a gland, putting him into submission before he rushed downstairs with a robe on.  _ I need that.  _

 

Terrance didn’t notice his absence for awhile before he started to cry, chuffing and calling out for Drac to come back. _ I want my alpha! I want him now.  _ His legs were shaking as he tried to get up and get out of the room. 

 

Levi was waiting at the door for him, a bag in his hands. He raised an eyebrow as he saw Drac with a robe. “You actually made a scent for yourself? And did you bond with him? Or is he just that possessive?”  _ You have bite marks all over you. _

 

“He’s being possessive as fuck because he can smell your Dad’s heat across the street. And yeah, I have no idea how I managed it, but I did. Levi, thank you.” He heard the chuffs upstairs, his eyes turning red.  _ Mate.  _ “I need to go.” 

 

Levi rolled his eyes. “Follow the directions on the package, make sure he doesn’t smother you.” He left with that, shaking his head.  _ That’ll last a bit if he’s that possessive of Drac already…  _

 

Terrance had made it into the hallway, chuffing and crying out. He whined, leaking more and more slick as he tried to fill the hallway with his scent.  _ I want Alpha... _

 

Alucard closed and locked the door, rushing upstairs and scooping up Terrance, kissing down his neck as he carried him back into the nest. “I’m sorry, honey, I’m sorry…” He set him in the nest, his teeth going to scrape the back of his neck.  _ I need time.  _ He let his teeth sink in, relieved as Terrance went limp, hurriedly beginning to work to set up the scent blockers.  _ I can do this.  _

 

Terrance was a purring puddle as he watched Alucard work.  _ Alpha, want Alpha…  _ He whined, pawing at the air towards him.  _ I want… I want now... _

 

“I’ll be there soon, love…. really soon….” He managed to get the scent blockers up, glad they seemed to be made with this exact situation in mind.  _ Thank fuck that was as easy as it was….  _ Soon, Alucard shed his robe, going to press against Terrance, soon sheathing himself in his warmth.  _ Mine…. I’m here…. _

 

Terrance let out a loud cry, purring happily.  _ Fuck it feels so good…  _ “Alpha! Alpha more please! Want pups… want alpha’s seed...” He slotted their necks together, purring at the scent that formed.  _ Oh fuck yes… Alpha’s scent is so nice... _

 

Alucard was soon slamming into him, mouthing at his neck, groaning.  _ So tight and wet…. fuck, I like it…. _

 

Terrance’s back arched and he grabbed at Ali’s long hair, gasping as his prostate got nailed with each thrust.  _ Fuck Fuck Fuck!!!  _ “Ali! Right there! Right there! Please,  **please** !”  _ More... _

 

Alucard kept it up, moaning as he came deeply inside him, locking them together tightly, his knot swelling up even larger than before.  **_Mine._ **

 

Terrance gasped as he came between them, panting as he laid sprawled out under Alucard. “Fuck, Alpha’s filling me up, really filling me up.” 

 

Alucard sighed deeply, leaning down to lap at his neck, his hands running all over his body.  _ Fuck….. I love you.  _

 

Terrance purred as he was pet, happy as Alucard handled him gently.  _ He’s being nice, really really nice... _

 

Alucard rolled them over carefully, soon rubbing Terrance’s back, thinking.  _ This is really nice…. _

 

_ You’re gonna be  _ **_exhausted…_ **

 

_ Worth it.  _

 

_ You’re gonna need to get food and water up here soon…. wait until he’s asleep and then run for the kitchen.  _

 

_ Got it.  _

 

Lathe slept on Damien’s chest, waking up with a rumbling stomach, whining.  _ Food…  _

 

Damien woke instantly when Lathe began to whine.  _ What’s wrong? Is he hurt? What’s wrong?? _ He looked around frantically for a threat, pulling Lathe to his chest as he calmed slowly. “Lathe?”  _ What’s wrong? Why are you whimpering?  _

 

“....food….” Lathe looked up to Damien with big puppy eyes. “Will alpha feed me?”  _ I want food…. alpha will give me food…. _

 

“I brought fruit up here, you want to eat some fruit?” _ Please tell me I grabbed enough to sate you until you pass out again so I can make you more food…  _ He set Lathe down, going to grab the fruit from the bowl and a water bottle. “I need you to drink the water bottle too, Okay?”  _ I need you to stay hydrated.  _

 

“Okay, alpha….” Lathe obeyed, drinking the entire bottle of water for Damien, sleepily eating grapes as Damien fed him before passing out on his chest.  _ Mate…. I love you…..  _

 

Damien sighed in relief, carefully settling Lathe down to sleep in the nest.  _ I need to make actual food for him… he’ll like the pasta I make…  _ He got up carefully, getting into his boxers and making his way downstairs to cook. 

 

Lathe snuggled into the sheets, enjoying the warmth and Damien’s scent.  _ Mate….  _ He slept for two hours before his eyes cracked open from the heat, feeling slick trickling down his leg.  _ I need mate….  _ He reached out, pawing at the sheets, crying out.  _ Mate….  Need mate, need mate now…. _

 

Damien looked up from the steaming pot as he heard Lathe whine.  _ Perfect, it’s done…  _ He took the pot and some hot pads up the stairs, setting them aside for now _.  _ Damien shed his boxers, going to pick Lathe up and settle him in his lap. “Shhhhh…. I’m right here, I’m right here…” 

 

Lathe let Damien move him, weakly clinging to him, his nose aiming for his neck, slumping in relief and happiness as he drank it in.  _ Mate is here….  _ Lathe’s tail and ears popped into existence, his tail wagging happily, the appendage soon rising up and out of the way of his slicked lower half.  _ Mate….  _ Lathe whined, trying to pull Damien forward, on top of him.  _ Have me…..  _

 

Damien soon complied, settling a pillow under Lathe’s hips, a soft smile on his face as his hands trailed up and down his sides.  _ I want him to be okay…  _ He made sure Lathe was comfortable before leaning over him and kissing at his neck as he lined up.  _ He’ll be perfect, he’ll eat after we’ve knotted, and I’ll get to feed him again... _

 

Lathe’s ears flicked all over the place, excited as Damien mouthed at his neck, his head tipping back as Damien’s lips ghosted over his gland.  _ I want him…  _ “....I l-love you….”  _ Mine….. _

 

Damien sucked at the glands gently, hard enough to leave marks but not hard enough to crush them. He moved to the rest of his neck leaving heavy bruises and bite marks as he slowly entered.  _ Fuck he’s still tight, oh god it feels amazing.  _ Damien groaned as he bottomed out inside of Lathe, kissing his way to the other side of his neck and slowly pulling out so he could start a slow and burning pace. “Hmm, I love you too…” His voice was husky as he whispered in Lathe’s ear, loving the purrs that it gave him. 

 

Lathe purred and trilled, short and pleased gasps leaving him, his hands slowly roaming all over Damien’s back.  _ Alpha loves me…….  _ “W-Want pups…..”  _ Pups…. my pup is all grown up…. I want more….  _

 

Damien was surprised at that.  _ Is he…. is he on birth control? I doubt it.  _ “Hmm, don’t worry…. I’ll fill you up with pups.”  _ I’ll stay, I like you a lot, I’ll stay with you, I promise… _ He kissed at Lathe’s jaw and kept his slow and steady pace.  _ He feels wonderful. _

 

Lathe trilled happily, holding Damien close.  _ I love you…. mine…. my alpha…. mate….  _ Lathe moaned louder, his breathing deepening.  _ More….  _

 

Damien crooned to him as he trilled, keeping his pace the same even as he felt his own coil tightening. _ I’m getting close.  _ “Hmm, Lathe, let it out, I know you want to…” 

 

Lathe clung to Damien, the alpha’s soft murmurs enough to make him tighten, whimpering and gasping as he came, shaking in his arms. “A-Alpha….” Lathe felt a large knot lock them together, the stretch delicious.  _ Fuck, I like it…..  _

 

Damien crooned as he locked them together. “Hmm, you’re being such a good omega… so good for me… I love it, we’ll fill you up with pups.” He could feel his body heating up, his scent spiking as Lathe’s heat was starting to send him into rut.  _ He’s beautiful…  _

 

Lathe began to cry as he heard Damien’s words, clinging to the alpha, needing to be perfectly flush with him.  _ Mine….. I love him, he’s mine…..  _ Lathe began to slowly calm down and become sleepy as Damien’s scent completely took over, making him dizzy.  _ Mate…  _

 

Damien crooned loudly, feeling his knot start to deflate as he got harder.  _ Must fill mate with seed, must fill mate with pups.  _ “Omega…” His voice was thick with lust and want as he nipped at his glands, growling as he nipped at them harder.  _ Mine... _

 

Lathe’s head fell back in submission, pulling Damien’s lips to his neck. “......y-you…. y-you’ll still l-l-love me… wh-whether or n-not I give you p-pups…. r-right?”  _ I want so many…. but I don’t know if I can give you many…..  _

 

Damien nodded, eagerly. “Of course, you’re mine… my omega, I’ll fill you with my pups, as many as you want.” He sucked at the gland heavily, coming close to crushing it from the sheer force.  _ Mine, my omega... _

 

Lathe whimpered, clutching at Damien’s shoulders. “....I r-r-really love you…. p-please… please bond m-me….”  _ I want it… I really want it….  _

 

Damien didn’t need to be told twice, biting down and crushing that gland immediately before turning his head to bite the other.  _ Mine, all  _ **_mine_ ** _... _

 

Lathe shook as he instantly came, crying out at the pleasure washing over him, the warmth curling up in his chest.  _ Oh my god….  _ He panted, shoving his wrists at Damien, eagerly opening his legs to show off the glands there as well.  _ I want it… everything…  _ He panted hard, waiting until Damien was done before nearly tackling him to the ground, his teeth going straight for his neck.  _ Mate…. bond, mate, pups….  _

 

Damien’s eyes were full of bliss and want as he lifted his head to show off his neck. He groaned as Lathe bit down and crushed the first one, feeling fuller than he had in a long time.  _ He’s mine, he’s really mine.  _ Damien let Lathe bite all his glands, pushing through the glands on his thighs.  _ Fuck, he’s mine, all mine, we’re gonna have so many pups, so many pups. _

 

Lathe could feel the thought flow into his mind, collapsing on top of him, looking at him with want.  _ I want so many pups…. ….I do….. _ He looked up as he finally smelled the hot pasta, whining softly.  _ ….but can I eat first?  _

 

Damien chuckled, nodding and picking him up to settle him closer to the food, getting out bowls to put the pasta in.  _ You need to eat…  _  He grabbed a water bottle and handed it to Lathe, smiling as he took it and starting to fill a bowl with pasta for Lathe. 

 

Lathe obediently drank the entire bottle, his tail wagging as he was rewarded, pulled into Damien’s lap, opening his mouth.  _ Alpha’s gonna feed me….. I love alpha….  _

 

Damien chuckled, kissing his forehead before starting to feed him.  _ He’ll need as much as possible, to feed all the pups.  _ He fed Lathe he entire bowl, giving him another water bottle to drink once he was finished.  _ Need to keep him hydrated too... _

 

Lathe purred as he was fed, whining when he couldn’t finish the water bottle.  _ Don’t want more…  _ His ears pinned, looking down.  _ I don’t wanna be a bad omega… wanna make alpha happy….  _ Lathe tried to finish it, whining softly.  _ Don’t wanna….  _

 

Damien took the bottle from him, closing it and putting it away. “You don’t have to finish it, don’t worry.”  _ I don’t want him to drink himself sick.  _

 

Lathe sighed with relief, his tail slowly wagging, curling up in the nest as Damien went to eat, cuddling the alpha’s leg.  _ Mine.  _

  
Damien chuckled, his hands running through his hair every chance he had. He was very gentle and once he’d had his fill he picked Lathe back up to settle him in the nest.  _ My mate, he’ll be full of my pups.  _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please Comment:
> 
> I love to hear your thoughts about my writing! Thanks!
> 
> ~Duke


	8. The Captive

A car door slammed outside, Casper sighing and running a hand through his hair as he walked around to the other side of the car.  _ Finally here… I just need to get him inside…..  _ Casper heaved Scotty out of the car and onto his feet, leading him slowly into the house. “Come on hun, let’s get you situated…” Casper led him down into the basement, a series of tarps laid down surrounding a pole in part of the concrete room, sitting him down to lean back against it. “Just relax, honey.” Casper reached for an array of zip ties, lashing Scotty’s wrists together behind the post, also weaving his legs together at the ankles.  _ Good, good.  _ “Okay, babe……” Casper tied a gag onto him, soon pulling a blindfold over his eyes.  _ We’ll leave you like this until those meds wear off…. _

 

Scotty woke to the pounding sensation in his skull, a soft whimper leaving him as he came to. He couldn’t see past the blindfold, and shivered as the cold that had settled in his limbs finally registered.  _ What the hell? I’m not in the hospital anymore? Where the hell am I?  _ He tried to move, finding himself restrained, his mind spinning as it pounded.  _ Fuck, I have a concussion, that’s for damn sure…. and it…  _ He squirmed, hearing the unmistakable sound of tarps crinkling under him as he moved.  _ I’m on tarps? What the fuck? Did he bring me here to kill me or something?  _ His body froze at the thought, his head dropping as he swallowed as best as he could with the gag.  _ He wants the bond broken that badly that he’s going to kill me?  _

 

Casper could hear the faint sound from where he was quietly typing upstairs, glancing around to the drawn shades.  _ Okay.  _ Casper reached for a key on a string around his neck, unlocking the desk drawer next to him and seeing Lathe’s borrowed gun sitting on a layer of plastic, a small star engraved on the side.  _ ….I can do this.  _ He reached for medical gloves before he picked up the gun, standing and going to the basement door, heading downstairs. “Scotty, love?” Casper looked over to his prisoner, walking over and kneeling next to him, gently touching Scotty’s cheek. “You’re awake.” 

 

Scotty hissed as his cheek was touched, even the gentle touch bringing the fresh grip of pain to his face.  _ Fuck it hurts, what the hell does my face look like??  _ He swallowed thickly, trying to move his mouth but unable to do so with the gag in place.  _ I can’t see him or talk to him…. and he’s…. he’s blocked me out of his head too, god dammit.  _ He pulled his face away, though he knew he’d be feeling the cool metal of a barrel against his chest soon.  _ I wonder where he got a gun from…  _

 

Casper sighed softly, his voice even. “....I’m only going to ask nicely once. I want the bond gone. Now. Don’t make me use this.” Casper pressed the barrel of the gun against Scotty’s chest, dead center. “....please. Do it for yourself, or you’re going to have a  **lot** more to worry about.”  _ Don’t make this difficult.  _

 

Scotty closed his eyes as he slumped a bit.  _ He’s gonna do it…. I’m not breaking the fucking bond we have. Fuck that, I’d rather die first…  _ He leaned his head back up against the cool pole and let out a shaky breathe through his nose.  _ He’s gonna do it, good for him, that’ll erase the bond…  _

 

“......you’re serious.” Casper stared at him in disbelief. “.....you’d rather accept torture and death rather than take the easy way out of this. Remember that you put yourself into this position. You’ve done fucked-up stuff, Scotty. I’m not letting you get out of this painlessly if you choose not to give in now. I’ll drag out the end of your life until I decide you deserve a shred of mercy, even though you had  **none** for me. You don’t deserve the courtesy.”

 

_ So he’s going to wait for Lathe to come and shoot me because he doesn’t have the balls…  _ Scotty didn’t move, keeping his eyes closed as he tried to stop thinking about anything and give his head a rest.  _ Maybe if he hits me hard enough in the head I’ll hemorrhage and it’ll be a slightly quicker death for me…  _

 

Casper stared, setting down the gun onto the tarps.  _ Of course.  _ Casper reached to hold his head, watching Scotty hiss in pain as it moved.  _ His head hurts like hell right now, I bet.  _ He took his chin, jerking up and smacking the back of his head into the pole, enough to really rattle him, glad for the gag as Scotty made a pained sound.  _ This is gonna be  _ **_fun._ **

 

Scotty lurched as Casper grabbed his head and smacked it against the metal pole.  _ Fuck fuck fuck Fuck  _ **_FUCK_ ** _ that hurt, Holy shit! What the hell is he trying to do, bust my skull in!? _ He opened his eyes under the blindfold, barely able to make a noise as Casper’s hands left him for only a moment before they landed in his gut at full force.  _ Holy shit…  _ It knocked the wind out of him easily.  _ Fuck fuck fuck  _ **_fuck_ ** _.  _

 

Casper saw Scotty’s arms beginning to struggle against their ties, tsking. He reached for his hand, his thumb digging into the nest of his palm as his fingers pinched on the other side, watching him shake from the pain. “Don’t struggle, you’ll make it worse.”  _ Much worse.  _

 

Scotty struggled not to try and pull his hand away, and would’ve been loudly crying out if not for the gag. His body jerked as a knuckle gave way before the bone under the pressure started to bend but by bit.  _ He’s gonna fucking break it, he’s gonna break my fucking hand.  _

 

“You gonna give me what I want?” Casper felt nothing, putting the last bit of pressure to break the bone, his heart sinking as he heard Scotty’s painful cry.  _ Fuck.  _

 

Scotty lurched a bit as the bone broke, letting out muffled cry.  _ Fuck, at least the pains gone for now… but…. he’s gonna break more.  _ Scotty slumped back against the pole, shaking his head slightly.  _ I can’t do that, you’re mine…. _

 

Casper sighed.  _ …….this is going to be a long while, isn’t it.  _ Casper decided to have a shred of mercy and set the bone in his hand, wrapping it with a bandage as tightly as he could.  _ It’s fine.  _

 

Scotty stayed where he was for the next few days, Casper ending up breaking his right femur and letting him lay down with a pillow for the rest of the day.  _ He’s broken my femur, a few ribs…. my hand…. he keeps fucking wrapping everything. Shit, my head still hurts, I think the back of my head is still bleeding from when he smacked it against the pole…. how many days ago was that? Was it days ago? I’m not even sure…  _ Scotty whimpered through the gag, his stomach tightening in knots.   _ I haven’t been fed in awhile, maybe he’s gonna try and starve me now?  _ He didn’t hear the front door opening and closing, nor the two sets of coming towards the door until the door was already open and they were coming down the stairs.  _ So this is when I die? It probably is…. _

 

Lathe was silent as he was led downstairs, his heart breaking as he saw Scotty the way he was, the patches over his glands keeping his scent very well hidden.  _ …..I don’t know what to say….  _ Lathe watched as Casper gestured to him, walking over to Scotty and kneeling in front of him, a gloved hand touching his cheek, tilting his head a bit. “....you’re bleeding.” Lathe reached for a damp cloth Casper had lying on the tarp, gently cleaning his neck and the back of his head. “..........Scotty………. it’s your day of reckoning. If you give up now, you’ll still be able to see him…. we’ll make you better. ….or we’ll simply take it away.”  _ I’m sorry.  _

 

Scotty’s eyes looked heartbroken as he started to cry, the blindfold catching every tear.  _ I haven’t been able to see him since he beat me on the front yard… he’s kept a blindfold on me since… I can’t dissolve the bond with my hands tied and I doubt their gonna take the gag out…. If I give him up he’s never gonna want to see me ever again, he’ll want me gone! And I’m gonna die anyways from the fucking broken bond so what’s the point in doing it now?  _ He swallowed thickly and let his body slump and relax as comfortable as he could get.  _ Lathe’s gonna do it…. _

 

Lathe looked heartbroken, looking back to Casper. He looked to the tarp, picking up the wire cutters and cutting his hands free, reaching to take out the gag. “....don’t scream…. just…. ….Scotty, are you sure?”  _ I don’t want to kill my friend….. ….but…. you’ve done horrible things….  _

 

Scotty’s first instinct was to cough, his mouth feeling drier than it had in a long time. “Just….. just fucking do it…..” His voice sounded shattered as he stayed where he was, still not wanting to move and jostle everything. “He doesn’t want it, fine, I get that, I’ll end up dying anyways, so just do it now, saves everyone the trouble….”  _ Lathe’ll actually shoot me…. it’s death day anyways…. _

 

“Scotty, even if that bond is broken, that doesn’t mean Casper is going to have you fuck off and never see you again. You can fucking  **fix** this! You can! We don’t know what happens when we die, and I don’t want to make you go find out. ….if you break it, then we’ll get you meds and food and water and take care of you. ...otherwise, I don’t know what’s gonna happen to you. And whatever happens there, they might not want to forgive…” 

 

“Casper never will so what’s the fucking point of any of this? Just fucking shoot me already, I can’t get rid of it even if I wanted… I can’t do that, that’ll hurt me and him…. It’s better to just get rid of the monster before he does anymore damage…” His voice slowly got quiet as he whimpered from his head pounding.  _ It hurts…. fuck, if they shoot me the pain will go away.  _

 

Casper sighed, moving to kneel in front of him as Lathe stepped back, lifting the blindfold so Scotty could see him in the dim light. “.....if you take it away, I’ll forgive you.”  _ Please.  _

 

Scotty looked at Casper and smiled as best as he could, the tears still leaving his eyes. “You won’t, Casper…. I know you won’t…. I-I love you…. I know you might not think that I do after everything I did… but I do, and I’d never want anyone but you….. but it’s the best chance you have of never getting hurt… just do it, Casper.” Scotty’s eyes were bloodshot as he looked at him.  _ He looks beautiful…..  _

 

Casper could hear his thoughts even through the block, wanting to cry. “.....you’ve done fucked up stuff, Scotty…. but I want to try again… clean slate…. please….. I really don’t want to do this….”  _ I don’t wanna, please don’t make me…... _

 

Scotty looked at Casper, sighing softly and struggling to lay on his back, gasping in pain as he wanted to get his hand out from under him.  _ Fuck it hurts to move... _

 

Casper immediately moved to help him stop the pain, moving his arms. “......you…..” Casper sniffled, beginning to uncontrollably sob.  _ I don’t wanna kill him… don’t do it……  _ Casper shook, unable to stop.  _ Please don’t…. please don’t…  _

 

Scotty looked at him with worried eyes as he started to sob, reaching up with a shaking hand to rub away his tears. “Don’t cry Casper…… this… this is what you wanted…”  _ A broken bond and the monster gone.  _

 

“No it’s fucking not! I want the bond gone so that we can get you on meds and try this all over again…. you aren’t the monster… it’s not your fault! I want us to try this over again!”

 

Scotty looked up at him with sad eyes. “I’m sorry Casper, but…..”  _ That’s not…. that’s not a good idea…  _ “If you don’t want to watch… you should go upstairs…”  _ Lathe’s already got the gun all set up and ready... _

 

Casper couldn’t help it, leaning down and clinging to Scotty, crying.  _ I can’t….  _ “....d-d-don’t do it…. don’t k-kill h-him…. p-please….”  _ I love him….  _

 

Lathe looked between the two of them, sighing. “.....Scotty…. …..the pups are gonna need  **two** godparents….”  _ Please….  _

 

Scotty stopped, looking over to Lathe with confusion. “Wh-What? You’re…. you’re pregnant?”  _ Wait a minute…. is he bonded!? When the fuck did that happen? _

 

“....I just went through a rut and heat with Damien…. we bonded, and we’re trying for pups….. I love him….. and I want you there for the kids…. I know you don’t want them yourself, but… but I want them to have an Uncle Scotty…..”  _ Please…. _

 

_ ….. fuck it…. _ Scotty looked at Lathe and then back to Casper, shaking his head, but lifting a hand to his neck and struggling to release the bond.  _ Fuck it really fucking hurts…. I don’t think I can do it….  _ Scotty passed out from the amount of pain he was in before the bond could be fully broken.  _ My whole body hurts... _

 

Casper looked up to Lathe, both of them immediately setting to work.  _ Let’s get him upstairs….  _

 

_ Comfortable…. _

 

_ Fed…. _

 

Scotty woke up to the sunlight against his eyes, groaning and trying to roll over but feeling pain shoot through his side for only a moment as it throbbed and went away.  _ The fuck? Did they give me medicine? Probably, they want me to get rid of the bond.  _ He reached for his neck, feeling he burning sensation take over at each mark, hissing from the pain.  _ He wants it gone…. he wants me gone…. _

 

Casper jumped a bit as he felt pain in his neck, coming running to Scotty’s side, a hand going for his hair. “Scotty, honey? How do you feel?”  _ Talk to me…..  _

 

Scotty wouldn’t look at Casper as he kept his hand on his neck, the burning sensation increasing as he got closer and closer to dissolving the bond.  _ The bond will be broken… soon… _ He gasped as it was finally broken, pain coursing through his whole body.  _ Fuck it hurts… it really hurts, I hope he can’t feel it. Who am I kidding, our bond is broken, he can’t feel it… _

 

Casper felt a burn until it was suddenly gone, immediately going to softly kiss Scotty, his hand gently massaging his scalp.  _ Thank you…. thank you….  _

 

Scotty shook his head, pulling it away from Casper’s hand and away from his lips before he could kiss him.  _ Why the hell are you doing this? Why aren’t you angry?  _

 

Casper sighed, smiling softly. “....thank you…. for sticking around…..”  _ I want you to stay alive…  _ Casper took back his hand, his voice soft. “Are you hungry? We made you nice soft soup… Lathe’s chicken and gnocchi….”  _ Please…. you need to eat….  _

 

Scotty shook his head. “I’m not hungry….”  _ I don’t think I can stomach anything.  _ “Put me back downstairs, Casper…”  _ Why the hell am I in a bed? It smells like you…. this is his room…. my glands are still covered…. I can feel it... _

 

“...we’ll get you a nice space to sleep and stuff, okay? We haven’t had the time to truly move everything in and unpack… it’ll take a bit, honey…..”  _ I’m sorry.  _

 

“Just put me in the fucking basement again….” Scotty sighed as he felt himself get angry, trying to calm down. “Just keep my stuff packed up…”  _ I’ll be moving soon… I know I will be, I need to stay away from him, I’ll just hurt him more... _

 

“.....but…”  _ Fuck it.  _ “Scotty, we bought this house together. I want you to stay, we’ll need some time but we’ll learn to be okay together again. If you can stay on the meds you need, we’ll be okay. I want to have the Scotty I fell in love with again…. I miss him. I miss  **you** .”  _ Please.  _

 

“The Scotty you fell in love with hurt you worse than what should ever be forgiven for…. he’s not coming back…” Scotty’s voice was broken, not looking at Casper and keeping his gaze away from the light, struggling to keep Casper out of view.  _ My chest hurts…. fuck, I fucked everything up… he wanted a broken bond. _ “Find someone who won’t hurt you or take advantage of you, you deserve them more than anything in the world…”  _ Fuck, I wanna see him and how beautiful he is… but if I look I’ll crack.  _

 

“The Scotty I love was forced to hide for a long time…. but I can see him now.” Casper reached to gently take his unbroken hand, his touch light. “...the meds will keep what isn’t Scotty away… and I’ll have what I love back. So much went wrong, and none of it was truly your fault…. I want to have you back, honey. I’d love that more than anything.”  _ I really would.  _

 

“I’m not…. I’m not worth it Casper…” He looked over to Casper, a broken look in his eyes. “It’s not worth it Casper… it really isn’t… you guys should probably take me to the hospital, I can feel my femur moving…. I’m gonna need surgery to fix it…”  _ I’ll need to find a place to stay after…. _

 

“Okay…” Casper held his gaze for a long moment, his eyes soft. “....you’re really handsome….”  _ I like your face…. it’s nice….  _

 

“Casper… Just…. don’t…  **Please** ….”  _ This… He shouldn’t even let me in the house…  _ “Just tell them I passed out and fell down the stairs…” He closed his eyes as the meds start to wear off.  _ It hurts, everything hurts.  _

 

“Okay….” Casper reached for his phone, calling Lathe.  _ I need help getting him out of the house….  _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please Comment:
> 
> I love to hear your thoughts about my writing! Thanks!
> 
> ~Duke


	9. Bonds Reaffirmed

_ I’ve been in the hospital for… two weeks I think? Lathe helped Casper to get me into position at the bottom of the stairs and they called an ambulance. I remember they gave me enough morphine to knock me out and by the time I woke up they’d already gone in and put pins in me everywhere, and I think they put a mesh in instead of trying to fix my skull… my head is fucking pounding, and I can barely move, I’m practically in a full body cast…  _ Scotty looked over as the door opened, seeing Casper come in with a box.  _ He’s been bringing me food… it’s all of Lathe’s recipes…. easy soups, I can barely move my jaw without my head feeling like it’s going to split…. I don’t think I’ve spoken to him since.  _ His eyes closed for a moment, looking away and towards the closed window.  _ I should’ve just let Lathe shoot me…. maybe my neck wouldn’t burn like it does…  _ He grimaced as he felt the searing pain in his neck. _ Every time he gets close, it’s just a reminder of how much I fucked up…. _

 

Casper smiled softly to Scotty, sitting next to him. “Hey…. how’ve you been? Kinda okay?” He watched Scotty blink twice.  _ Two blinks is a yes… that’s good…  _ “I have potato, cheese and bacon soup today…. Lathe crumbled the bacon nice and small for you…. there’s applesauce too if you want something cold…. soup or applesauce?”  _ You can pick…. _

 

Scotty blinked twice, looking at the containers.  _ I doubt he can feel it… he doesn’t look hurt.  _ He held in his grimace of pain as Casper got even closer to him, feeling like he was being burned with a brand.  _ Fuck…  _

 

Casper nodded and opened up the container of applesauce, picking up a small spoonful, going to begin the slow process of feeding the alpha. He watched him jerk the smallest bit in pain, a lock of hair falling into his face, reaching to gently brush it back.  _ …..he’s still really handsome….  _

 

Scotty clenched his jaw as Casper touched him, feeling the pain intensify.  _ Fuck, I can’t even tell him not to touch me…  _

 

Casper watched him wince, thinking. “.....I shouldn’t touch you…. should I.”  _ The bond breaking must still hurt….  _ He watched Scotty blink twice, sadly nodding and going back to feeding him.  _ At least we have this... _

 

Scotty sighed once he was done, letting his head back against the soft pillow he had.  _ It just gets worse everyday…. It’ll kill me… I know it will, I’m not gonna make him take a bond, I’m not gonna do it ever again to him.  _ He looked away and towards the closed window once Casper had finished.  _ I should try and see if…. if I can stay with someone from work, they’re all here anyways... _

 

Casper sighed as Scotty looked away from him. “....do you want me to go?”  _ I’ll go…. _

 

Scotty looked at him with broken eyes for a moment before he blinked twice.  _ He shouldn’t stay here…. I’m not going to be coming back home… I’ll find a place to stay.  _

 

“Okay…” Casper stood, pausing for a moment. “....I wanted to tell you that your room in the basement is all set up…. ….I really want you to think about staying with me for a while… I know you hate yourself right now for everything and won’t stop thinking like that for a while…. but I want to take care of you while you’re like this when you can finally come home…. ….just…. please think about it…. okay?”  _ You have lots of time to think…  _

 

Scotty looked to him and blinked twice before he looked to the window and closed his eyes.  _ I want to sleep…. I’ll be here for another week at least…  _ That week passed quickly, his head finally feeling better enough that he could speak.  _ The nurse I have…. he’s…. he’s nice…  _ He looked to the omega that was bringing in his food and bandages.  _ He’s gonna wrap my head again…. good, I think I’ll be going home soon… they’ve had me try and use crutches, it’s not too bad… I can get around... _

 

The man smiled as he saw Scotty, setting down the bandages. “Hello Scotty, how’re you feeling today?” 

 

“A-Alright.”

 

“It’s good to hear your voice for once… and that’s good. I need to change the bandages on your head….” The nurse moved to help Scotty sit up, smirking as he unwrapped his head slowly, ruffling his hair carefully for a moment.  _ I like his hair…  _

 

“I haven’t…. used it in awhile….”  _ It doesn’t sound that bad… does it? I hope not.  _ “They…. they said I could go home… right?” He winced a bit as the omega touched his hair but sighed in relief when it didn’t hurt.  _ He’s being gentle…. _

 

“Mhm, you’re all cleared to go home… it’s a shame, I liked seeing you every day.” He smiled softly, a hand gently running through his hair. “This doesn’t hurt, right?”  _ You should be healed enough for this….  _

 

“No…. it feels nice…..”  _ Casper….. Casper used to do this all the time.  _ He closed his eyes as he relaxed with the nurse ran his fingers through his hair.  _ It feels so nice to have someone touch my hair without it hurting.  _

 

The nurse smiled and nodded. “That’s good…”

 

_ …….uh.  _ “Excuse me?” Casper stepped into the room, looking at the nurse very strangely.  _ The fuck are you doing? _

 

Scotty looked up at the sound of Casper’s voice. “Casper? This is Oliver, Oliver this is Casper, my ma-..... my good friend….”  _ We’re not mates anymore….  _ He reached up to rub his neck where the mark started to burn. 

 

Oliver smiled softly at Casper, running his hands through Scotty’s hair once more before starting to wrap his head again. “After you take off this wrap you shouldn’t need to wrap it again, and we’ll send you home with some crutches, okay?” He smiled softly, letting out a sweet scent to try and entice Scotty.  _ He’s cute and I like him... _

 

“Uhm, can you maybe not try to seduce an alpha who just broke a two year bond while on the clock? Thanks.” Casper watched Oliver stare at him in shock and immediately draw back his scent, the omega sighing and sitting next to the bed.  _ Just fucking do your job.  _

 

Scotty was still as he let Oliver wrap his head and then give them his discharge papers. “Don’t you have to work?” His voice was harsh as he spoke, still unused to it.  _ I thought you would’ve sent Lathe.  _

 

“I called off for today, I had to get your space ready and getting you situated and back in the swing of things is gonna take a bit. There’s food waiting for when we get you home too.” Casper smiled softly, trying to look past the rough tone. “...It’s nice to hear your voice again.”  _ I missed it….  _

 

Scotty sighed and nodded a bit. He looked to the crutches against the wall. “You can hit me when we get home, can you just get me the crutches?”  _ I can use them fairly well…  _

 

“Why the hell would I do that?” Casper stood, getting him the crutches and handing them over, not touching Scotty but ready to catch him if he fell.  _ I’m here… but I know me touching you hurts….  _

 

Scotty took the crutches and made his way out of the room with them, signing the paperwork he needed to when they got downstairs.  _ He’s pissed off… really pissed off… _ He let Casper walk beside him, barely looking at him. “You might as well start yelling at me now….”  _ We’re far enough away from people… no one will think about it…. _

 

“What the fuck are you talking about?” Casper sighed as Scotty gave him a strange look. “....you know, yeah. It hurts when you don’t call me your mate and it pisses me off that that omega touched you. But I’m not going to yell at you about it. I yelled at them because they were about to use their scent on you, they were on the clock, you’re not exactly in a state to fend off anything even if you wanted to, and you’re still in a fuckton of pain from breaking that bond. And I'd like to be your mate, but I know we need time to get there again. I don’t have the right to be mad at you. ….it’s just difficult. And it’s gonna  **be** difficult for a while. But I’m willing to work through the painful and awkward if I can get the mate I love back.” Casper ranted as they walked, surprised when Scotty suddenly just stopped walking. “...what? Are you okay?” 

 

Scotty looked at Casper with surprised and sad eyes. “You just…. you sounded like Lathe…. you can’t be my mate again Casper, we’ve gone over this… you deserve much much better than I could ever be for you.” He looked down, watching where he used the crutches, looking around for Casper’s car.  _ Where do I go? Where the hell are you parked….  _

 

Casper sighed softly, leading Scotty to his car. “...Lathe and I talked for a while…. the shitty situation is what I’m mad at, not you…. knowing what I know, I can’t do anything other than forgive you.”  _ ….it’s not okay, and I’m hurt, but that’s okay.  _

 

“I don’t expect you to forgive me, you have every right to be mad at me for what I did and I deserve every punishment you gave me. If you wanted a clean slate you should’ve kicked me out completely.”  _ Who knows, maybe you will…  _ He sighed quietly as they got to he car, heavily leaning on it as he struggled to get in but managed on his own.  _ I shouldn’t be staying with him…. _

 

“Scotty…. I don’t think you should be living alone…. not while you’re like this…. medically, you need care, and just….”  _ You’re not in a good headspace…  _ Casper fell silent, starting the car.  _ …...I don’t want you to spiral downward in self loathing….  _

 

_ If only you knew…. Even if you keep me…. I can’t touch you without it hurting horribly, we’d never be able to have sex unless I reinstated a bond with you…. which you’d never fucking want.  _ “I should be living alone, that way I don’t fucking hurt anyone else…. I turned into the same fucking monster my father did…. I don’t want to put you or anyone else through that again…” He grew quiet as the tears started to form.  _ Fuck, it burns just being this close to him…  _

 

“Scotty, it’s a hormonal condition that can be treated with medication, it’s not some entity inside you waiting for the perfect moment to beat someone you love to a pulp. You deserve to live a normal fucking life, not to subject yourself to your own torment. You deserve to go out and love whoever the fuck you want and not be scared you’re going to destroy everything you hold dear. Nobody fucking deserves that.” 

 

“Medication that will sedate me so that I’m not a threat to anyone, enough sedatives running through me to keep me half asleep all day, perfect solution…. My father should’ve had me castrated… I should’ve gotten fucking castrated at the first sign of my temperament in college….”  _ That’s probably the only way at this rate…  _

 

“...Scotty…” Casper paused when they stopped at a red light, sighing. “....you know, if you don’t want to be on medication, I’m not gonna stop you… ...you don’t want kids anyway.”  _ …..you’re not gonna want kids… so what’s the point.  _ Casper refused to look at him, his eyes downcast. 

 

“Casper, I shouldn’t be having kids, for all I know I’ll pass it on, and just make more monsters that won’t have a good life… I told you to find someone who’ll love you, and take better care of you than I can…” Scotty looked at him with sad eyes, reaching out to cup his cheek, holding in the pain as it felt like his whole body was being seared in fire.  _ Don’t let him see that it hurts, and maybe he’ll realize that letting me go is the best option he has... _

 

Casper looked over to him, a hand coming up to gently cover the hand on his cheek. “....I just want you to do what makes you happy…. it’s not my right to tell you whether that means you keep me or not, or have kids or not…. do what makes you happy, and I’ll be happy for you.” Casper let his hand drop as the light turned green again, sniffling.  _ I love him….  _

 

“You made me happy Casper….” Scotty’s voice was barely above a whisper as he cried silently the rest of the way to their new house.  _ He’s…. He wants what I can’t give him… but he doesn’t know how much it hurts to stay by his side… my hand still feels like it’s on fire…. and he only touched me for ten seconds… _ He reached behind him to grab the crutches once they pulled in the driveway, struggling to get up and out of the car, yet managing after quite a few tries. 

 

Casper silently cried alongside him on the ride home, walking with him to the door, leading him inside. “...you’re in the basement, but your leg….” Casper looked to him, giving him a gentle look. “...I guess I didn’t really think it through, but…. I can carry you.”  _ I miss holding you…  _

 

“I’ll manage it Casper, don’t worry about it, I’m gonna try and sleep for a bit now that I don’t have a nurse bothering me every few minutes.” He made his way with the crutches carefully towards the stairs and looking down them.  _ Fuck….this’ll…. this’ll be a challenge…  _ He very slowly took the stairs step by step, making sure to hand onto the railing, and almost going backwards down them.  _ He’ll be fine… I can’t make it upstairs even if I have a fit of rage…  _

 

Casper was worried, insisting on standing a few steps below in case he fell, smiling reassuringly to him. “Once you get used to it, maybe it won’t be too bad… ...I can bring you food if you’d like to eat before sleeping…. whatever you want.”  _ I’ll get it for you.  _

 

“I’m just gonna sleep Casper…” Scotty reorganized himself on his crutches, slowly getting closer to Casper and leaning his head down to kiss his forehead. His face burned as he pulled back and crutched over to the bed that was set up and settling himself on it.  _ Time to sleep... _

 

Casper smiled softly, his voice a bit worried. “.....don’t touch me if it hurts…. I like the contact, but I really don’t want you to be hurting…”  _ Please don’t hurt yourself for me…  _

 

“Don’t worry about me, Casper… I’ll be fine, it’ll all be fine eventually…” Scotty shifted back further on the bed, sighing as his head rested on a pillow.  _ If I keep holding him, maybe my heart’ll give out…  _

 

“.....Scotty….” Casper waited for him to look back, staring him in the eye. “If you try to kill yourself, just watch me follow you.”  _ Don’t fucking try that shit with me.  _

 

“You were so ready to shoot me to dissolve the bond, where’d  **that** Casper go?” Scotty looked back up at the ceiling thinking for a moment. “.... if you really want me to take the fucking medication, go for it.”  _ I’m not stopping you, but you won’t like the doped up me that comes with it I can guarantee it... _

“I…. we both fucked up, okay?” Casper looked ready to explode with frustration. “I was desperate to get rid of the thing that gave you complete fucking control over me, the thing that had a power you abused horrendously. But now that we actually have a shred of a chance to make this shit work and actually function together, I don’t know what the fuck I’d do if every second I spent loving you was wasted…. do you not fucking remember me begging Lathe not to do it? The last resort came and I couldn’t let him fucking do it! I loved you too fucking much! You were shit to me and I still fucking loved you, so if you don’t think I can love you while you’re the man I first loved you’re out of your goddamn mind!” Casper looked outraged and devastated.  _ If you can’t accept that, I can’t fucking do this….  _

 

“I fucking  **know** you still love me! I love you too Casper! More than anything in the fucking world, but I can never put a bond on you again, medication doesn’t always work, you’re a pharmacist you know it just from your profession. It’s not safe for you to be near me at all! It’s not safe for you! And it’s fucking painful to be anywhere near you at any given time, do you know how badly it hurts even when I touch you for a few seconds? It feels like I’m sticking my hand in a forge and holding it there until the muscles have burnt off and the bone is starting to burn. I want to keep you close, but that’s not safe anymore Casper. I can’t put another bond on you, if I did that again, to you or to anyone else I would never forgive  **myself** .” Scotty sat up as he got into their screaming match, tears starting to run down his face, his voice broken and tired. “I believe you… when you tell me you still love me, I believe you, but…” He sniffled rubbing at his face as his head pounded.  _ Fuck, I was screaming at him, fucking shit, my head feels like it’s caving in…  _

 

“I don’t give a fuck if we can never have kids anymore! You’re right, the drugs won’t fucking work forever. I’ll take you to the hospital so you can end that part of this fucking nightmare and you won’t have to stay drugged out of your mind! I hated seeing you so loopy when I first brought you here, I fucking hated it…. b-but….” Casper sighed shakily, looking at him seriously. “....i-if you do that… a-and we can go a while without killing e-eachother…. I w-want you back… h-here….” He touched the tender flesh on his neck. “...I n-need that part of me back…. when it was good, it was bliss…. I need you back in here….” His hand trailed down to cover his heart. “I could f-feel you h-here all the t-time…. and you gave me h-happiness wh-when I w-was s-sad…. I w-want that b-back….”  _ Please….  _

 

Scotty looked up at Casper crying, watching him begin to shake.  _ Fuck… I wanna give him a hug, but he’s over there and if I do that my whole body will feel like it’s burning…. It’s probably worth it… _ Scotty scooted himself towards the edge of the bed, reaching out for him, wanting to hold him.  _ He probably won’t take my hand…  _ “We’ll start me on the hormone repressors first… and see what we can do from there….”  _ Happy wife…. happy life, right?  _

 

Casper wanted desperately to crawl into his arms, sinking to the floor and curling up. “..............Scotty……………. stop giving a shit about what makes me happy…. and start giving a shit about what you know you want to do instead…. ...when you’re not beating yourself up and denying yourself what you want, I’ll be happier than you doing what I want and knowing you’re only doing it to please me…. ...what do  **you** want to do to fix the hormone problem?” Casper looked at him seriously, clutching his legs to his chest.  _ Tell me.  _

 

“Casper… if we did what I wanted….. we’d never have a chance at kids…”  _ You’re inner omega would go mad, and you’d go insane without carrying at least one pup…  _ “I’ll go on the medication, and we’ll see how it works out…” Scotty watched Casper curl up to himself, sighing and shifting back to sit back against the pillows in the bed.  _ Happy wife, happy life….  _

 

Casper’s mind violently rejected the idea, feeling a crushed, empty sensation.  _ ….no…. fuck that, I can’t be going baby crazy  _ **_now…._ ** “....fuck….” Casper swore under his breath, dropping his head on his knees. “B-But…. you don’t want pups…..” Casper sniffled. “......I just…. ………I just wish loving you wasn’t so h-hard…” 

 

“I’m sorry, Casper…. I’ll go on the medication…”  _ And we’ll hope that your heat doesn’t send me into rut when it comes up…. That’d be the death of me.  _ “I might not want pups now…. I might not ever want them, but…. I shouldn’t be the one deciding on if we’re going to take that risk or not…” He hissed, grabbing at his neck as a spike of pain ran from his neck down his spine.  _ Oh my fucking god, it hurts…  _

 

Casper looked up as he hissed, immediately becoming worried. “Wh-What? What hurts?” 

 

Scotty was holding at his glands, crying out in pain, his fists clenched as he waited for the pain to pass, gasping for air once it was finally gone.  _ Shit….  _ “Fuck…. I didn’t think…. I thought it would be longer….”  _ I thought I would have more time….  _

 

“......is it…”  _ Fuck…. you need to bond….  _ Casper and Scotty stared at each other for a long moment, Casper’s voice quiet and raspy as he finally spoke. “....I don’t want you to die……” 

 

Scotty sighed, shaking his head. “I have at least a month Casper…. I expected it to take longer to settle in, but I guess what I did was really heinous…”  _ It was…. who am I to fool?  _ “Don’t worry about it for now Casper, I’m going to try and rest, okay?”  _ I need sleep, I need time to think and so do you... _

 

Casper slowly nodded, standing up, wanting to cling to him. “........okay, Scotty…. ….I love you….” Casper turned to go upstairs, curling up in his nest in the living room, gasping for air as he began to sob.  _ I wanna die….  _

 

_ It’s been a week since the first spike happened…. and I’ve only had it once more…  _ Scotty looked down at his newly freed skin, sighing in relief.  _ Everything healed beautifully, and now I can shift and try something that I’ve been wanting to do since the first spike happened….  _ Scotty shifted into his large werewolf form, sniffing at the air and coming up behind Casper in the kitchen and rubbing his body against his back.  _ It doesn’t burn….. it doesn’t burn for him to touch me…  _ He crooned happily, his chest vibrating as he sat behind Casper lazily.  _ My medication is still really effective even in this form…  _

 

Casper looked behind him, surprised as Scotty rubbed against him. “.....you…. you don’t hurt in that form?” He watched Scotty shake his head, sinking to the floor and clutching him close, his fingers buried in his fur.  _ Alpha…..  _

 

Scotty crooned to him, moving to lay down and let Casper curl up to his large side.  _ He’s… calming down, oh thank god…  _ He nosed at him, licking a stripe across his cheeks and neck, getting a taste of the oils around his glands.  _ Fuck, he still tastes wonderful…  _

 

Casper purred loudly as Scotty affectionately licked him, going lax as Scotty lapped at his neck.  _ …..I want it….  _ Casper let himself shift, pressing close to Scotty, touch-starved.  _ I need you…. I missed you…  _

 

Scotty let him come close, soon getting to to rub his whole body against Casper’s, completely scenting him with his diluted scent.  _ It’s not my full scent because of the pills…. but it’s close…  _ He crooned to Casper’s purrs, licking at his face as he sat down and wagged his tail for him.  _ I CAN  _ **_TOUCH_ ** _ HIM…. this is the  _ **_greatest_ ** _!!  _

 

Casper was happy as he heard Scotty’s voice, his tail furiously wagging, purring loudly.  _ I can have your scent…. ….come scent the nest with me….  _ Casper got up and brought Scotty to his nest in the living room, rolling around in the blankets.  _ I want it to smell like you…..  _

 

Scotty froze just outside of the nest, looking at him curiously.  _ Are…. are you sure?  _ He looked at the nest, sniffing at it.  _ These are the nesting supplies you used for the den…. why aren’t they in your room? Is…. is this your main nest now?  _

 

Casper paused, whining softly, ears pinned.  _ …..I wanted to be able to hear in case anything happened downstairs….. ….we can put them upstairs if you want….  _

 

Scotty looked to his pinned ears, immediately lowering his body and rolling over to show his stomach in a sign of submission.  _ It’s…. it’s okay, we can leave them here if you want….  _

 

_ …...can we bring them upstairs? I don’t like how the nest up there is so small compared to this one… I want it upstairs….  _ Casper took a mouthful of fabric, looking to Scotty.  _ Help? _

 

Scotty swung his body around and got up, getting a mouthful as well.  _ Of course, lead the way…. _ He waited patiently to follow Casper, not realizing he’d be hit with Casper’s pheromones full force.  _ Hmm…. you smell so sweet…  _

 

Casper’s tail wagged at that, happy.  _ I miss being able to smell you…. you smell nice….  _ Casper brought them upstairs, both of them depositing the large amounts of fabric in the nest, Casper immediately going to nudge it into place as Scotty went back for more.  _ It’ll be perfect….  _

 

Scotty made three more trips with fabric, watching him nudge everything into place. _ Everything you touch is perfect Casper… _ He sniffed at Casper’s sweet scent, his arousal starting to form off of it. _ Casper…. I need to go downstairs... _

 

Casper caught the aroused scent, his interest immediately piquing, going to gently nose him.  _ …..don’t go…. stay….. please?  _  Casper laid down in the nest, vulnerable, looking up at him with wide puppy eyes. 

 

Scotty looked at him curiously, sniffing at the air.  _ Are you sure?  _ His length was already starting to unsheath just from looking at him in that position. He sniffed at the air some more trying to figure out what he wanted. 

 

_ Yeah…. I miss you…..  _ Casper splayed out on the floor, letting his sweet scent drift over him.  _ I want you….  _

 

Scotty carefully stepped into the nest, nosing around Casper’s backside.  _ So sweet…  _ He nudged him to raise his lower half, wanting to have better access to it, his length slowly coming further and further out of his sheathe.  _ If you want me I want to make sure it won’t hurt... _

 

Casper immediately rolled over and presented himself to Scotty, his tail coming up and out of the way.  _ It won’t hurt……  _

 

Scotty nosed at his entrance, starting to lick over it, using his saliva for lube and managing to slip his tongue inside of him.  _ You seem pretty stretched out….. we haven’t had sex in months though, Casper….  _

 

_ ….I’ve been desperate…. I haven’t had anyone else, but we have toys…. I used those….  _ Casper shuddered at the warmth inside of him.  _ I’ve wanted this for a really long time…  _

 

_ When’s your next heat Casper? _ Scotty kept licking the inside of Casper’s walls, groaning as he tasted slick.  _ You’re slicking….  _ He rolled his tongue, pleased with how stretched he was, moving to pull away from him and nose him into a better position. 

 

Casper let Scotty move him, already beginning to pant from anticipation.  _ Not for another whole month…. we should be fine…. ...I’m still on the pill….  _

Scotty nodded, crooning to him as he got behind him and mounted him, struggling a few times to find his hole but as soon as he found it he started a brutal pace.  _ You’re so warm, and tight... it feels….  _ **_amazing_ ** _. _

 

Casper panted, whimpering and purring as Scotty entered him.  _ I missed you….. it feels soooo good….  _ Casper pressed back against him, trying to coax him to go even faster.  _ I want it….  _

 

Scotty continued as he did, crooning happily as he sped up his pace.  _ I want you to enjoy this Casper… really enjoy this…. _

 

Casper mewled and whimpered as Scotty kept it up, purring like mad as Scotty pressed close.  _ Mate….. my mate….  _ Casper whined, soon lowly howling, letting Scotty pound him through a wave of bliss as he came.  _ Fuck….  _

 

Scotty pounded into Casper until he came inside of him, his knot swelling up.  _ Fuck it feels so fucking good…  _ Scotty crooned to him as he moved to lay down and try not to tug at the knot. 

Casper purred as Scotty crooned and licked at his neck, overwhelmingly happy.  _ I missed all of this… it’s so nice…. _ Casper fell asleep not long after, enjoying the contact.  _ Mine….  _

 

Scotty watched him sleep, letting the knot slowly deflate and pulling out of him.  _ He’s asleep…  _ He settled himself down, letting out a yelp as he felt the pain course through his body and cause him to slump, the burning sensation running through his whole body.  _ Fuck it hurts... _

 

Casper jerked awake as he heard him, looking back to him, worriedly licking his face.  _ Are you okay? What happened?! _

 

Scotty whined as he pain situated in his neck worsened, soon enough shifting to his human form and grabbing at his neck.  _ Fuck, I’m so fucking close to him…  _ He groaned horribly as he writhed.  _ Hurts... _

 

Casper whined loudly.  _ Change back! Change back and it won’t hurt so bad! You can do it! _

 

“Casper, it fucking burns….”  _ I don’t think I can change even if I wanted too…  _ He cried out in pain, gasping as it finally subsided, his fists clenched. _ It hurts... _

 

_ Shift…. please…..  _ Casper whimpered, shifting back to human form as Scotty forced himself into his wolf form, burying his hands in his fur. “I’m here…. I’m so sorry…” 

 

Scotty whined, his chest heaving as he laid on the ground.  _ Fuck… I’m sorry…. I’m sorry this is happening Casper…. _ He let Casper pet him, thankful his body didn’t burn. 

 

“Don’t be sorry, it’s….. …..it’s okay.” Casper ran his hands all over him, nestling into his chest. “....you’re warm….” 

 

Scotty sighed quietly and nuzzled him as he nestled into his chest.  _ I’m sorry about all of this Casper, you don't deserve this… _

 

“.......it’s okay…….. I love you…” Casper quietly murmured, scared to say it.  _ I don’t wanna scare you off by saying it too much….  _

 

Scotty’s ears perked as he heard Casper’s murmurs, licking his face with his tail wagging.  _ I love you too, Casper…. _

 

Casper held onto him tighter, smiling softly.  _ I like this…. a lot…. but…. I want you to be human again….  _ “Scotty….. ….when the p-pains get too b-bad…. t-tell me, okay?”  _ I want to fix it when it gets so bad…  _ “....and… have you thought about the surgery? I mean….. ….you’ve acted a lot more medicated than calm….. I just…. I’m worried….” 

 

Scotty’s ears pinned to his head at his words. _Casper…. we wouldn’t be able to have kids if we did that…_ _you’d go insane…_ He kept his ears pinned, licking at his face. _The medication’s been working… right?_

 

“Well, yeah….” Casper sighed. “....I just…. ...are you happy with the way it’s been working?” 

 

Scotty nudged him, huffing almost like he was chuckling.  _ Well…. I was able to get it up, and I don't feel like I’m getting angry over everything…  _ He licked Casper’s face, his tail wagging.  _ You’re… you’re okay with…. with our relationship like this?  _

 

“....I’d really like to have our relationship back….” Casper gently pet Scotty, smiling. “...you’re gentle…. and I’ve missed having you like this… ...but… that pain you keep feeling worries me….”  _ I don’t want you to get hurt….  _

 

_ You’re not… you’re not ready for me to bond with you again… I can deal with the pain Casper.  _ Scotty nudged him with his large head. 

 

“B-But…. I don’t want it t-to take you away from m-me…. s-so…. I want you to kn-know that when it’s t-too much… that I’m here…. P-Promise you’ll t-tell me when that h-happens…..” 

 

Scotty looked down at his words, settling his head in his paws.  _ I can handle it Casper… I promise…  _

 

“N-No…. promise me y-you’ll….” Casper looked up at the alpha. “Promise me you’ll tell me when… s-so that I don’t have to l-live knowing you d-died in p-pain…”  _ I don’t want that… please….  _ “...I wanna keep you….” 

 

Scotty was quiet as he closed his eyes.  _ I can’t…. I can’t promise that Casper… I don’t deserve to be kept… You deserve to have so much more... _

“....I wanna have you…. you’re what I want…” Casper buried his nose into Scotty’s fur, smelling his musk. “...I love you…. just… at least tell me… because I’ll be devastated when you’re gone….”  _ I don’t want you to go yet….  _

 

Scotty looked at Casper with soft eyes, nudging against him with his large head.  _ I can’t Casper… I… I…. can’t do it…. I can’t put you through that again… _ He looked up as he heard a knock at the door, getting up and carefully making his way downstairs to see who it was.

 

Lathe was surprised to see a large wolf peer through the window next to the front door, using his spare key to come inside. “Scotty? You’re a pupper.” Lathe gently pet him, smiling as he wagged his tail. “Where’s Casper?” 

 

Scotty looked at Lathe with his ears perked, sniffing him.  _ You’re… you’re pregnant… _ He looked at Lathe’s bump with curiosity.  _ Oh fuck if Casper sees you…. he’s gonna go baby crazy... _

 

“.....I know he wants pups, but… I wanted to see him….”  _ I want my pack…  _ Lathe looked up as he saw Casper meander to the top of the stairs, smiling. “Hi Casper.” 

 

_ ………..oh.  _ Casper immediately came downstairs, staring at Lathe’s bump.  _ He has pups…..  _ Casper reached for Lathe’s arm, dragging him into the living room.  _ I need to scent him and make him comfy and get him food….  _

 

Scotty watched Casper drag Lathe to the living room and settle him on the couch.  _ Casper…. Casper… you…. _ He had his ears back against his head and his tail down. 

 

Casper looked to Scotty, worried. “What? What’s wrong?”  _ I wanna take care of Lathe…. Lathe is family….  _

 

_ You take care of Lathe, I’ll be downstairs, okay?  _ Scotty lowered his head and backed up a bit, pulling in his scent so that Lathe wouldn’t have a problem. He was careful as he made his way down to the basement to lay down on the bed that was there.  _ He’ll take care of Lathe… I’ll stay he-  _ Scotty struggled to hold in the cry of pain as the sharp pain ran through his neck again and down his spine.  _ Fuck fuck…. _

 

Lathe let Casper bring him blankets and cocoa, smiling. “You don’t have to…”

 

“I want to.” Casper soon settled next to Lathe, a bit nervous. “....can I touch?”

 

“Yeah, that’s okay….” Lathe watched as Casper rested a gentle hand on his belly.  _ ….pups….  _

 

Casper’s eyes were soft, full of melancholy. “....I want pups….” 

 

“I know you do….. give it time, okay?” 

 

Scotty shifted in the basement, gagging himself so his screams and shouts would be muffled in a rag. His skin was red and his eyes bloodshot as he clawed at his neck, opening it up.  _ Fuck it hurts so fucking much… they’re gonna keep getting worse…. that’s two that’s happened today, fuck…  _

 

Lathe’s head suddenly shot up, his ears popping into existence.  _ I smell blood.  _ He immediately got up, dragging Casper to the cellar door. “Blood-”

 

“Lots of blood….” Casper ran down first, his eyes wide as he saw Scotty on the cot. “.....oh my god…”  _ He’s gonna die at this rate…  _ “Scotty….” Casper ran over to him, climbing onto the bed. “Bond me, do it… I don’t want you to die….” 

 

“Casper, I can’t… I can’t…”  _ I can’t do it to you.  _ “I can’t…” He moved to sit up, holding onto his neck from where he clawed himself open.  _ Fucking hell it hurts… it hurts that he’s so fucking close.  _

 

Casper looked to his neck, beginning to cry. “You clawed your neck open…. you….” Casper began to shake. “.....I don’t w-want you t-to die…. n-not like th-this….” Casper crawled into his lap, his wrist going for the untouched gland on his neck, gently mixing their scents and watching Scotty groan in relief. “......please…. ...I love you.”

 

Scotty looked at him with bloodshot eyes, the burning sensation of Casper touching him melting away as their scents mixed. “Fuck, Casper…. are you… are you sure?”  _ I don’t want to do this… not to him... _

 

“You….. I love you…..” Casper pulled them flush, relief flooding him as he drank in his musk. “.....I’ve always kinda thought…. you were my true mate…. you, uh…. you remember wh-when I bumped into you in the hall and spilled our papers everywhere?”

 

“....yeah? But we didn’t really ‘meet’ for another week…”

 

“.....I, uhm…. I had been taking scent suppressors…. but you obviously weren’t…. the reason I scrambled to pick everything up and ran away without half of my things is because your fucking scent put me in heat two months early…. ….I’ve always kinda thought, maybe…..” 

 

_ I did that? Fuck….  _ He leaned forwards, licking at Casper’s gland.  _ Fuck, he tastes as sweet as I remember…  _ “I’m gonna try this time, I promise… but if… if it happens again, you need to put me down…”  _ I need you to promise me that.  _

 

“....I….” Casper clung to Scotty, slowly rubbing his back. “..........I love you…. I know you’ll finally be my sweetheart again….”  _ I know it. _

 

“......uhm.” 

 

Casper looked over to Lathe, sheepish. “Lathe, I-”

 

“I’ll be back to check if you’re in a heat and rut in two hours, if you’re not, I’ll leave food, if you are, I’ll bring stuff downstairs for you.” Lathe waves, trudging back up the stairs.  _ I don’t wanna hear this.  _

 

Scotty blushed wildly as he watched Lathe leave. “Casper… you need to… you need to promise me, please…”  _ please… please promise me…  _

 

“.....you……” Casper paused, looking up to him. “If it happens again, we’ll try castration as a final try…. I just…. ...I don’t wanna lose you…. I thought I could keep you even if we weren’t bonded…. but I can’t….”  _ I can’t have both….  _

 

“And if that doesn’t help, promise me you won’t let me keep you like I did so long ago, please?”  _ We’ll try castration first... _

 

“.........I won’t let you hurt me… if it doesn’t work, I won’t let you keep me….”  _ I won’t….  _

  
Lathe returned two hours later with a large croc pot of food, sighing as he smelled heat and rut the second he came through the door.  _ Of course.  _ Lathe came downstairs, looking away from the two of them, Scotty’s growls dissipating the second he saw him. “Don’t mind the pregnant omega, I’m just gonna get you all ready, okay?” Lathe plugged it in and set it on the table, needing a few trips to get a good amount of water, dishes, and food downstairs. “Okay, that should be plenty… I’ll check on you two later, okay? Have fun.” Lathe left them, locking the door behind him, surprised to look across the street and see Terrance in his front yard.  _ ….what’s he doing on the lawn? He’s  _ **_never_ ** _ outside….  _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please comment! I love reading your thoughts and suggestions on my writing!
> 
> ~Duke


	10. The Unexpected

Terrance was shaking ever so slightly as he twiddled his thumbs, settled on the front lawn. The driveway was empty and had been empty for a few weeks.  _ He’s… he’s not coming back…. why isn’t he coming back home? I want Alpha back home… it’s gonna… it’s gonna hurt if he doesn’t come home…  _ He flinched as he heard the crunch of shoes coming closer on the concrete, keeping his scent reined in.  _ I need to be good for Alpha, he’ll come home if I’m good…  _

 

Lathe meandered over to him, sitting on the grass not far away from him. “Hi honey…. what’s going on? You’re out in the big wide world.” 

 

“A-A-Ali l-left…”  _ Alpha’s not coming home… Alpha’s staying away…  _ He sniffled as he curled up tighter around himself.  _ He… he’s not coming back… he hasn’t sent me any messages…  _ “H-He… he’s n-not answering h-his phone….” Terrance tugged at his hair as he curled up, flinching for only a moment before tugging harder. _ He… He doesn’t wanna come home…. _

 

Lathe slowly moved to sit next to him, reaching to take his hands away from his hair. “Don’t hurt your pretty head, honey…. can’t you call his boss? Doesn’t she always know where he is, more or less?” 

 

“He’s not… he’s not at work…. h-he got mad at me… and-and he left…”  _ I… I yelled at him, and he yelled back and as it just escalated until he left…  _ “H-He’s b-been gone s-since we got home from the w-wedding…” 

 

“....what happened? Did you two fight?” Lathe pulled Terrance to his side, reaching to gently pet him.  _ It’s okay.  _

 

Terrance nodded and sniffled as he was pet. “I got… I got really mad at him… b-because of what he did at the wedding and-and he…. he wouldn’t apologize and I tried to grab his arm to keep him from walking away… and he th-threw me across the room…. H-He was gone when… when I woke up…”  _ I’m gonna be having that heat I get now with the pills soon…. it’s gonna hurt if he doesn’t help…. _

 

“.....fuck….” Lathe rubbed his back soothingly. “.....what did he do?”  _ This is gonna be bad….  _

 

Terrance swallowed and looked down. “I’m n-not invited to… to any more weddings…. He-He got really drunk and he got really grabby… and he grabbed one of the bridesmaids by the dress and practically ripped her dress off of her and then tried to bend her over a table…”  _ He…. I don’t think he even fucking remembers it... _

 

“.......oh. My god.”  _ I’m gonna kill him.  _ Lathe held onto him, sighing. “.....if he doesn’t come home in time for…. for your heat…. then I’ll be able to come and make sure you’re fed and hydrated, and okay….. just in case…. ...but why don’t we give his boss one more call? Talk to her about trying to get in touch with him?”  _ Please…. you need him…  _

 

Terrance sniffled and nodded, moving to get up on his shaking legs and walk towards the door. “Y-You can come in…”  _ Everything is in utter chaos…. I need to find my phone… _

 

Lathe got up to follow him, stunned as he saw the state the house. “Honey…..”  _ Oh no……  _ “...have you been eating, honey?”  _ It’s all a wreck... _

 

Terrance looked at him with his hands shaking, mumbling a bit. “I….I’m not hungry…. I’m…. I’m thirsty….” He murmured as he grabbed at his hair, tugging on it hard as he looked around for his cellphone. _ Need to find it, Alpha needs to come home... _

 

Lathe caught his hands, kissing his head. “Honey, please, don’t tug…. it’s okay, let me call it, okay?” Lathe pulled out his phone, dialing Terrance’s number.  _ We’ll find it.  _

 

Terrance whined when he didn’t hear it ringing at first but as soon as he heard it upstairs, he bolted off to find it.  _ I need to call alpha.  _ He managed to trip up the stairs and smack face first into the floor below, immediately yelping. 

 

Lathe came running, shocked when he saw Terrance sitting on the top step, blood beginning to pour down his face.  _ Shit.  _ “Come here, honey.” Lathe reached for him and got him into the upstairs bathroom, grabbing a black hand towel  and dabbing at the blood.  _ It’s broken…  _ “You broke your nose, honey…. here….” Lathe gently touched it, seeing Terrance flinch. “I’m gonna put it back, okay? It’s gonna hurt, but just let me do it….” Lathe took hold of his nose, quickly cracking it back into place.  _ Damn….  _

 

Terrance cried out in pain as it was cracked back into place.  _ Fuck it hurt, it hurts! It hurts! Make it stop... _

 

Lathe held the cloth to his nose, going to kiss his head. “I’m so sorry honey, I’m so sorry, but I had to…. It’s okay.” Lathe gently held onto him, guiding him to the still-ringing phone in the nest, fishing it out from the pile of clothes and blankets. “....let’s try to wait for the bleeding to stop, first….” Lathe sat them down, gently petting him. 

 

Terrance whined, moving towards the phone. “I-I wan’ Alpha!” He cried out, trying to grab it from Lathe’s hands but whimpering when his nose moved from his shuffling.  _ I want Alpha! I want you to call, I want Alpha now... _

 

Lathe immediately nodded, letting him help to find the right number to call, holding it up on speaker. “We’ll find him, don’t worry, honey….”

 

Terrance whined, curling up to himself and tugging at his hair as he cried.  _ I want Alpha to come home, I want Alpha to come home.  _

 

_ “What is it, Terrance? Why do you keep calling me?” _

 

“Ms. Hellsing? Alucard is currently MIA… he up and left about three weeks ago and is refusing contact with Terrance. Do you have any idea where he is, or would he be more open to actually responding to  **you** trying to contact him?”

 

_ “Christ, what he do this time?”  _ There was a quiet sigh on the other end before a muffled shout.  _ “Walter!”  _

 

“....apparently… Terrance took him as his +1 to a wedding, probably as Drac…. but he got drunk, became Alucard, got grabby… and ripped the dress off a bridesmaid and tried to bend her over a table….. Terrance isn’t invited to any more weddings, and they fought, and now Alucard is just kinda gone…. ….Terrance is, well….”  _ Kinda devastated... _

 

_ “Fuck…. I’ll get him on the next plane home….”  _ Integra groaned looking to Walter as he came in.  _ “Get that vampiric asshole up here now, and tell him his ‘pet’ is on the phone.” That’ll get him up here. _

 

“Of course, Sir.” 

 

“He’s not his  **fucking** pet!” Lathe was suddenly filled with rage, glaring daggers at the phone. “It’s fuvking ridiculous that you can’t allow him the  **shred** of respect in calling him something else! Boyfriend, omega, what the fuck ever, but  **not** his  **pet** .” 

 

_ “I only called him that because Alucard will actually get his ass moving if I do, I know Terrance is his omega.”  _

 

Lathe quieted, staring at the phone. “....I’m so sorry… I’m his pack mate and an omega, I  **hate** the word….” 

 

_ “I’m sorry but I’ve been trying to get his lazy ass moving, that’ll help him get up, and do something useful…”  _

 

Walter made his way down to basement where Alucard was. “Your pet is on the phone, I suggest you go upstairs, he can’t stop crying for you.” Walter acted like he was disgusted, hoping to stir Alucard. 

 

Alucard groaned, curled up in bed. “Fucking hell…. and he’s not my pet, you fucks…..” Alucard managed to sit up, pushing back his long hair.  _ I fucked up…. _

 

_ Yeah. You did.  _

 

_ I know you tried to fix it and I wouldn’t let you and I’m sorry… _

 

_ Go upstairs.  _

 

_ Noooooo…. _

 

_ Do it…. he needs you.  _

 

_ …...oh god….. fine……  _ Alucard managed to stand, walking towards the door, silent on the walk to Integra’s office.  _ I don’t want to have to face this….  _

 

“I hope you know a Lathe… he claimed he’s part of Terrance’s pack. Also, he was whimpering the entire time.”  _ He sounded like he was in pain... _

 

“....well fuck…..” Alucard groaned, coming into Integra’s office. “Phone.” He took the phone, lifting it to his ear. “...Terrance?” 

 

Terrance looked up from where he was still tugging on his hair and whimpering. “A-Alpha? Alpha is that… is that you?”  _ It sounds like Ali… I want to make sure it’s Ali, I want him home.  _ He hiccuped as he tugged harder at his hair pulling a few strands out. 

 

Lathe struggled to keep him from tugging out his hair. “Don’t tug, honey, it’s okay….”

 

“It’s me, honey, it’s Alpha…. …..I’m sorry I ran off… and… I’m so sorry about the wedding…. ….I’ll be home soon, okay? I want to make it up to you… or try to, at least… I know I really fucked up… can you hang on for one more day, honey? I’ll do what I can to get there soon….” 

 

“W-Want you h-home… want Alpha home…. it’s… it’s gonna hurt if Alpha’s not home…”  _ It’ll really hurt… it hurt when you got home late the first time it happened…  _ Terrance still tugged at his hair even with Lathe trying to get him to stop.  _ Hurts…  _

 

“I’ll be home for it, honey, don’t worry, I’ll be there tomorrow… I promise. You don’t have to be alone. Lathe?” He heard Lathe’s soft hum. “Can you make sure he’s okay until I come home?”

 

“Of course…. we’ll keep him safe….” Lathe smiled softly, pulling Terrance fully into his lap, petting him and kissing his head.  _ It’s okay, honey….  _

 

“....thank you…..”

 

Terrance nodded, his hands soon shifting from his hair to Lathe’s shirt and clinging to him.  _ I want him to come home, Alpha needs to be home soon, I’m thirsty… I want Alpha... _

 

Lathe hung up a moment later, saying goodbye and tossing the phone away to pet Terrance and rub his back. “It’s okay, honey….. it’s okay….” 

 

Alucard sighed as he hung up, turning, annoyed to see Integra’s shocked look. “The fuck is wrong?”

 

“First off, your omega… you left him alone to come here and mope? So the second I actually talk to him he wants you to go home. Did you even turn on your phone to answer his calls?”  _ He sounded desperate… and the whimpering, good god.  _ “You better take the jet, he might be going into heat soon with the amount of pain his voice held.”

 

“I will, then. And what is that fuvking g look  **actually** for? Surprised I can actually give a shit about anything in life?” Alucard glared, studying the woman. 

 

“Yes, actually, quite surprised. I thought since you were here he left you. I’m surprised it was your doing that you came here, is that so hard to believe since the moment I practically met you, you’d done nothing but sleep around and kill things?”  _ Is it really so hard to believe? _

 

“I’ve changed a bit. I still like the killing part, don’t get me wrong-” He smirked as Integra chuckled. “But I really do give more of a shit about Terrance than I really thought I would about anyone or anything… it weirds me out sometimes, the things I feel. But I know I want to keep whatever the fuck it is we have. I need to fix this in whatever capacity I can.” Alucard turned to head for the door.  _ I need to do this.  _

 

Terrance whimpered as he looked up to Lathe.  _ Alpha’s… Alpha’s coming home soon right? _ He whined, feeling his body heating up against Lathe’s.  _ I want Alpha home, it’s gonna hurt if he’s not home… I’m thirsty, I want Alpha…  _

 

“Alpha’s gonna come home, honey…. alpha’s gonna come home….” Lathe gently settled them down better in the nest to lie down, Lathe gently nudging Terrance from lying on his belly. “You can’t lie on top of me, honey…. I’m pregnant…”  _ You’ll squish the babies…   _

 

_ Pups?  _ Terrance stopped his sniffling and crying, looking towards Lathe’s obvious bump that he hadn’t noticed before. He turned oddly quiet as he curled up to Lathe’s side, staring at his bump in silence.  _ I want pups… Alpha will stay if I have pups, right? Pups… Alpha will stay…  _

 

_ Oh no…  _ “I know he would, honey…. he cares a lot about you… I know he’d love you and any pups you two had…” Lathe reached for his hand, gently settling it on his stomach. “It’s okay to touch…”  _ I can tell you want to…  _

 

Terrance made sure to be extra gentle with his touch, soon enough tracing lines around absentmindedly.  _ Lathe has pups… he’s… he’s being good for his alpha… I wanna be good for my alpha too, I want Alpha to give me pups, I want to have pups, Alpha will stay if we have pups…  _

 

Lathe reached to gently pet him, his voice soft. “Honey, you and Ali really need to stop and talk about pups… I know as an omega you can go completely baby crazy… I did too in the middle of my heat…. but you and he should really talk about it first… it’s a big step and Damien and I are lucky enough that we thought taking that kind of step so soon would really work, and so far it has…. but it’s serious… you’ll be able to have pups someday too, I know it, but you need to make sure you’re ready…” Lathe smiled softly.  _ You’re being good for him even without having pups… it’s okay….  _

 

Terrance whined as Lathe spoke but purred as he was pet. He continued to trace invisible lines all across Lathe’s abdomen which helped him calm down.  _ Want pups, give Alpha pups…  _ Terrance chuffed, calling for Alucard, and whimpering when he didn’t come right away.  _ Want Alpha, thirsty…. pups… want Alpha... _

 

Lathe sighed, petting him more. “He’s coming, honey, but it’s gonna be a while before he gets here… I’m sorry….”  _ Give it time, honey….  _ “How about we get you fed? Then you won’t have to worry about food when he gets here, you can only worry about holding onto him…”  _ You need food….  _

 

“I’m not hungry… I’m thirsty…” He murmured, picking his head up and chuffing more for Alucard. He let his preheat scent flare up and drench the nest in pheromones.  _ I’ll give Alpha pups…  _

 

Lathe sighed, nodding. “....I know you’re thirsty… but he’ll be here soon, and when he’s here, you can drink…. ...try to relax and sleep, honey…. if you sleep, he’ll be here sooner than you think….”  _ It’s okay.  _

 

Terrance nodded, moving to burrow into his blanket pile. His face was starting to bruise heavily from his broken nose, and his scent like that of a full blown heat coming to fruition.  _ Want Alpha home…. I’ll sleep until Alpha gets home... _

 

Lathe gently pet him until he was asleep, pulling out his phone and carefully gettin up.  _ I need to get home… Damien will be worried and I need food and my vitamins….  _

 

It was late at night when a car door slammed shut, Alucard quickly walking to the front door, unlocking it.  _ I’m home…  _ He was hit with a wave of heat when he walked in, looking up the stairs. “Terrance?” He rushed upstairs, coming into the nest and seeing Terrance’s sleeping, bruised face.  _ Fuck, his nose broke? _

 

Terrance stirred ever so slightly as he heard Alucard come in, chuffing in his sleep from where he was buried in the blankets.  _ Alpha…. want Alpha… want his pups…  _

 

Alucard responded immediately to the sound, entering the nest and gently uncovering his mate. “Terrance? I’m here…. I’m so sorry, I’m back…”  _ I’m here….  _

 

Terrance opened his eyes slowly as he was uncovered, reaching for Alucard with shaking hands and tugging on his clothes.  _ Want off… thirsty…. want to drink... _

 

Alucard chuckled, stripping quickly, bringing Terrance into his lap to undress him, gasping a bit in surprise as Terrance bit his neck.  _ He’s got a taste for it…  _ “Not too much, love…”

 

Terrance purred happily as he could finally drink from him, lazily licking at his neck with closing eyes.  _ Tired… must save energy for pups… gonna have pups…  _ He lapped Alucard’s neck clean as his body continued to slowly heat up with the impending heat.  _ Pups, gonna be full of pups…  _

 

Alucard smiled, undressing his mate, careful of his nose before reaching up and healing it, smiling at his relieved face. “Better?” 

 

Terrance purred, moving closer to him and rubbing their necks together as slick started to slowly drip from him and onto Alucard’s lap.  _ Want pups, want Alpha’s pups…  _

 

Alucard rubbed his back, feeling a deep hunger set in as he smelled slick. “You’re still on the pill, right?” 

 

Terrance whimpered, hiding his face in Alucard’s neck.  _ Want pups, I’ll be full of Alpha’s pups.  _ He pawed at Alucard’s chest, trying to seat himself on the vampire’s large dick.  _ Want pups..  _

 

_ ….oh my…. he’s not, is he….  _ “Terrance… Terrance, honey….” Alucard gently pulled his face from his neck. “Honey, do you want pups?”  _ Oh lord, we’re gonna have  _ **_this_ ** _ conversation…. _

 

Terrance nodded, whining. “W-Want Alpha to stay… Alpha will stay if I have pups… wanna have Alpha’s pups…”  _ I want Alpha’s pups… _ He was still struggling to seat himself on his dick, finally getting his tip in and sinking down on him, purring from the delicious stretch it gave him.  _ Full of Alpha’s cock… want pups... _

 

Alucard gasped quietly as Terrance was suddenly seated on him, his mind racing.  _ …..he’s in the middle of heat…. _

 

_ He’s not thinking straight… _

 

_ This isn’t the time to bond or make pups….. _

 

_ Isn’t his fertility still pretty fucking low in heat? _

 

_ Oh yeah…. _

 

_ Clean him out every time… it’s okay. _

 

_ Okay.  _

 

Terrance struggled to move from his position, whining when he couldn’t use his legs to move from how spread they were. “Alpha, want pup, want your pups….’  _ Want them, Lathe has pups, I want pups too... _

Alucard nodded and tipped forward, settling Terrance on his back, beginning to slowly move. “What’s… what’s got you so… so baby crazy?”  _ Out of nowhere…  _

 

“Omega has pups, I want pups too…” Terrance gasped as he was pushed down onto his back, purring as Alucard moved slowly inside of him.  _ It feels so good… so very good... _

 

_ ….Lathe has…. oh.  _ “Honey…. it’s okay…” Alucard gently kissed his cheek. “Are you… are you sure we’re ready?”  _ I don’t know…. I don’t know if I’m the right kind of person to be having kids…. I kinda… _

 

_ Suck? _

 

_ Yeah, that.  _

 

Terrance nodded as he grabbed at Alucard’s shoulders. “Please? Want to be good omega for alpha, alpha won’t leave if I give him pups… don’t want Alpha to leave…”  _ Don’t want Alpha to leave, want Alpha to stay.  _ He cried out as felt Alucard finally hit his prostate, trying to cling to him to keep him there.  _ It feels so good. _

 

“I won’t leave….. I won’t leave you…. I’ll stay…..” Alucard gave him what he wanted, pounding into him, trying to hit his sweet spot.  _ I’ve got you. It’s okay.  _

 

Terrance purred as he was pounded, starting to get closer and closer to cumming.  _ Want pups, want Alpha’s pups… want pups, want Alpha to stay.  _

 

Alucard held onto him tighter, letting his knot swell up, cumming deeply inside him.  _ I want him to be happy…. but….. I really don’t know if we should be having kids…. he’s…. he’s gonna be hurt if we have kids and aren’t bonded… or if either happens without him thinking straight for it….   _

 

Terrance purred happily as he was filled, cumming as soon as Alucard knotted him. He passed out in bliss under him, his grip slowly loosening from around his shoulders.  _ Alpha’s gonna give me pups... _

 

Alucard gently held onto him, rolling over, resting Terrance on his chest.  _ …….I don’t know if I’m ready….  _

 

The rest of the heat was a cycle- Alucard fucking Terrance into oblivion, knotting him, and cleaning him out as well as he could while they slept. Then, he’d either wake Terrance up to eat or jolt awake to Terrance’s whines for more.  _ I’m exhausted…  _ Alucard sighed when Terrance woke up only to snuggle closer, a sign that he was on the last legs of heat.  _ Mate….  _

 

Terrance whined as he snuggled closer, grabbing for the blanket over them.  _ Want warm… want warmer…  _ His eyes slowly cracked open as he looked at Alucard, sighing in relief that it was him.  _ Oh thank god, it wasn’t a stranger…. it was him, fuck, I haven’t taken the birth control pills since he left…. fuck! _

 

Alucard gently pet him, seeing the panic fill his eyes. “Honey….?”  _ What’s wrong?  _ “....if it’s the pills, I did my best to clean you out every time, I’m sure it’s okay…” 

 

Terrance seemed to sigh in relief, though he quickly realized that he felt off.  _ It’s…. it’s probably nothing…  _ “What kind of food do we have in the house? Actually, you’re gonna have to go shopping, I haven’t eaten in three weeks, everything’s probably gone bad.”  _ Fuck and the house is a mess too... _

 

“It’s okay, we’ll get it all sorted out…. are you hungry?” He watched Terrance nod, shifting out from under him. “Okay, honey… you try to sleep, I’ll bring you food in a little bit, okay?”  _ I’ll get you something to eat.  _

 

Terrance nodded, rolling over to curl up under the warm blankets. “Can you… can you get a box of pregnancy tests?”  _ I wanna make sure…. I wanna know… I need to make sure I’m not pregnant... _

 

“Okay, baby….” Alucard stood and left, going downstairs and managing to salvage enough food to make Terrance dinner, bringing a large bowl of stir fry up to him.  _ Eat….  _

 

Terrance thanked him quietly, eating as much as his turning stomach would allow for.  _ I want to take the test and find out. I can’t be having pups! We’re not even bonded yet, holy fuck what was I  _ **_thinking_ ** _? _

 

Alucard quickly dressed, leaving the house to buy the tests.  _ I can get groceries later….  _ He quickly drove home, handing Terrance the box. “....it’s okay… no matter what those tests end up saying… it’s okay.”  _ I promise.  _

 

Terrance took the box and went to the bathroom, opening it after a few minutes of staring.  _ What do I do if it’s positive? I need to get rid of them if I am… I’m…. I’m not ready for kids... _

 

Alucard quietly waited in the bedroom, looking up as Terrance came back silently. “.....what did the test say?”  _ ….honey? You look so upset….  _

 

_ It was positive….  _ “It’s negative…. I’m Um… I’m gonna go back on the birth control, I shouldn’t have stopped it in the first place…”  _ Fuck what am I gonna do… I need to get rid of them... _

 

Alucard nodded, looking worried. “.....honey…. you’re shaking….” Alucard reached for him, his eyes soft. “Come here, honey….”  _ Please…. let me hold you…. _

 

“I’m sorry… I um… did you go shopping yet?”  _ Alcohol… that’ll work…  _ He let Alucard pull him close, slowly calming down.  _ It’ll be alright... _

 

“Not yet, honey….” Alucard held onto him, worried. “.......Terrance…… is there something you need to tell me?” Alucard looked down, kissing his cheek softly. “I’ll love you no matter what it is…..”  _ You’re shaking so bad……  _

 

Terrance shook his head. “I’m just relieved… I’m too young for pups, we’re not even bonded yet, it’d be a shit show. Can you get some alcohol? So we can drink and relax, please? I just, I don’t wanna think about it anymore.”

 

Alucard nodded, gently rubbing his back. “Okay… what do you want? Wine, liqueur, whiskey, vodka….?”  _ Whatever you want. _

 

“Can you get bourbon and some vodka, please?”  _ I hope you get a couple bottles… _

 

“Okay, any particular brand?”  _ Some people get  _ **_very_ ** _ picky….  _

 

“Hmmm, Smirnoff… and Jack Daniels….”  _ I Like those two brands…. _

 

Alucard nodded, kissing his head. “I’ll get that, then… I’ll get us a few bottles to keep around the house….” Alucard kissed his forehead, settling him into the sheets. “You get some rest, love… I’ll go get us some real food.”  _ We need groceries… everything went bad….  _

 

“Oh, can you get cereal?”  _ I like the Frosted Flakes that you got before, and I think I ate them all in a day... _

 

“Let me guess… Frosted Flakes?” He chuckled as Terrance immediately gave him puppy eyes. “Okay, okay. I’ll get lots of it. That it?”  _ I’ll need a list.  _ “I’ll be making a list, so you have a bit to think.” 

 

“And… and Cheerios?”  _ I like those ones too…  _ “The… the honey ones? Oh, and I’m the solid hot cocoa? Can I have one of those too?”  _ It was sweet…. I liked it... _

 

“....solid hot cocoa? Chocolate bars?” He watched Terrance nod quickly. “Okay, I’ll get that for you…”  _ Lots of sugar… …..uhm….  _ “.....honey?” Alucard moved to kneel next to him, his brow furrowed. “....I’m just…. I’m a bit worried maybe the first pregnancy test could’ve shown the wrong thing… can you… can you go take another? I’m sorry, but I’ll leave it alone after this…”  _ Something feels off…  _

 

Terrance looked at him with confusion before nodding and going off to the bathroom.  _ Fuck, what am I supposed to do? How do I make it negative?  _

 

Alucard waited, reaching for Terrance when he came back, sighing as he was shown the test.  _ Negative…. he isn’t pregnant…  _ “Okay, honey…. I’m sorry.” He gently pulled Terrance into a hug,  smiling at his scent.  _ He smells so sweet….  _ Alucard’s gangs dragged across his skin.  _ I wanna taste…  _

 

Terrance purred as he tilted his head to the side. “Hmm, I just got out of heat, it might be really sweet… can-can I have some too?”  _ I like it, I want more, what I had when you got home wasn’t enough…  _

 

“Of course….” Alucard sunk his fangs into his neck, gently lapping up the drops of blood, moaning at the taste.  _ So much sugar… I love it….  _

 

Terrance purred as he melted in his arms.  _ He likes it…  _ “Hmmm, can you get carrots, and potatoes too?”  _ Want to make a stew… that’ll last me awhile…  _

 

“Of course…. lots of vegetables… I know you like cooking.” Alucard kissed his cheek.  _ I love you….  _ They cuddled for a little while longer, Alucard soon moving to tuck Terrance back in. “I’m going to make my list and get going, I have a lot to get.” He stood and headed downstairs, writing out a long list. 

 

_ Wow, you’re being nice to yourself. It’s sorted by department and aisle.  _

 

_ I know, I’m actually functioning like an adult…. it’s weird. _

 

_ Yeah, fucking stop that, that’s  _ **_my_ ** _ job and you’re weirding me out.  _

  
Terrance waited for him to leave before going to the bathroom cabinet and raiding the pain pills.  _ If I start taking five… maybe that’ll help speed up the process…. it should… _ He took the pills and slowly crawled back into bed and curled up, making sure to keep his scent down.  _ But I’m surrounded by heat scent still, it shouldn’t be a problem…  _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please comment! I love to read your thoughts and suggestions about my work!
> 
> ~Duke


	11. Tragic Findings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fair warning this chapter and the next will be describing a very drunken and upset omega as well as his attempts to terminate his own unwanted pregnancy.

It took a while before Alucard was back with bags of groceries, stopping when he noticed a plate heavy with chocolate chip cookies on the porch table.  _ Huh.  _ He picked up the note taped to the plastic covering. 

 

_ Hi honeys- _

 

_ Nobody answered the door so I left these here.  _

 

_ Something sweet because I know chocolate is popular in your house. _

 

_ <3, Lathe _

 

Alucard smiled, bringing the plate inside. “Honey?” He came upstairs, finding Terrance sleepily blinking at him. “Lathe left cookies for you… you must’ve been asleep and didn’t hear him ring the bell.”

 

Terrance looked at him sleepily, sitting up and rubbing at his eyes. “Hmm, cookies? Ooh, I’ll have to eat some tonight…”  _ Food… and Lathe made them…  _ “Sorry, I was tired…” He stretched out, yawning as he slowly slumped back down and curled up.  _ I’m exhausted… fuck…  _ “How long was my heat? I’m so fucking tired…” 

 

“Five days, I think….” Alucard set the plate on a side table, his voice soft. “I’m going to unload the groceries and get them all put away. I even got some of that fish you like if you’re still hungry…” 

 

Terrance seemed to perk up instantly at that. “Fish? Fishy fish?”  _ Is that what you’re talking about? About Fishy?  _ He sat up, looking around to grab for actual clothing and curling up in oversized sweats.  _ Hmm, fishy fish….  _

 

“Mhm, with the nice breadcrumb stuff on top that you like…”  _ You like the horseradish kind.  _ “Shall I put it in the oven for you? Maybe make some asparagus and mashed potatoes?” He chuckled as Terrance’s tail popped into existence to begin quickly wagging. “Alright, I’ll go get your dinner ready, honey. Wanna curl up on the couch, or are you okay up here?” 

 

“Did you get the Smirnoff?”  _ I want to start drinking… I wanna try and get rid of it before it becomes an actual pup. _ He got up to get dressed fully to make his way downstairs when Alucard nodded.  _ Good, maybe if I get drunk maybe he’ll fuck me again… what more damage could it do? I went back on the pill too... _

 

Alucard led him downstairs, going to get everything in the house and put away, the alcohol sitting on the counter, setting out a good glass for him.  _ There.   _

 

Terrance thanked him quietly, slowly sipping at the glass as he watched Alucard move around the house to put things away.  _ Hmm, hopefully if I go through a couple bottles it’ll work…   _ He giggled a little as Alucard had trouble opening the pack of fish, a smile on his face as he blushed. 

 

Alucard rolled his eyes as Terrance giggled, finally managing to get the thing open, setting the already-prepared fillet in the oven. “Don’t laugh, I’m making you food.” Alucard kissed his head before carrying on, managing to balance dinner and putting away groceries at the same time. 

 

Terrance shut up after that, taking quite a few more sips from his glass.  _ Hmm, vodka…. I don’t understand how people can’t handle it…  _

 

Alucard managed to get everything put away, sitting Terrance down at the table and setting a plate in front of him, heavy with fish and vegetables. “There you go, honey.”  _ You need food.  _

 

Terrance smiled softly, purring as he took the first bite. “Hmm, thank you Ali…” He took the last sip of his glass, starting to already make a dent. “Can I have a refill?”  _ I have a slight buzz, but I’m sure I can get more... _

 

“Of course…. you’re sure you’re fine with it room temperature? Would on the rocks be better?” 

 

“Can you cut up one of the lemons? Or limes? Then you can put it on the rocks.” Terrance smiled softly as he continued eating.  _ Drinking will help get rid of it... _

 

Alucard nodded, slicing up a lemon and soon setting a glass in front of him.  _ Nice.  _ He kissed his head, gently petting him. “Don’t drink yourself sick, but I’ll take care of you if you decide to get drunk.”  _ That’s okay. _

 

“I don’t think I’ve ever gotten sick off of Smirnoff… but I’m definitely looking forward to getting drunk tonight.”  _ Fuck yes, this’ll make it easier to hide.  _ He picked his head up as he heard Alucard’s phone start to ring. 

 

Alucard sighed, fishing in his pocket for his phone, answering as he fixed himself a plate. “Yes?”

 

_ “Alucard… Vampires have taken over a hospital in Ireland, I need you to go and figure out where they came from and who sent them…”  _

 

“Can’t you send the police girl? She’s literally right there.” 

 

_ “And I would like you to take her with you, because she just got out of the coma. Now, are you going to come? I know you love killing things.”  _

 

“I do like killing things. But my mate just got out of heat, do I  **have** to go?” 

 

_ If he leaves I can drink it all…  _ “Ali, if you have to leave you can go, the quicker you go the quicker you can come back…..” Terrance sipped from his glass as he swung his legs under the chair.  _ If he leaves…. I can get myself to miscarry.  _ He felt his stomach turn at the thought, but picked up his drink to hide his discomfort.

 

Alucard nodded. “I’ll be there soon enough. Make sure I have the right coordinates and I’ll take the jet. It’s still parked where I left it.” Alucard soon hung up, going to kiss Terrance’s head. “I’ll be home soon. Don’t worry too much, honey. If you need to, go visit Lathe. He’ll keep you company if I’m gone too long.”

 

Terrance nodded, leaning up to kiss Alucard’s lips softly. “Come home safe, okay?”  _ I want you to be okay…  _

 

“Of course… don’t I always?” He kissed his mate deeply, pulling back and nipping his lip. “I’ll be home soon. Love you.” 

 

Terrance smiled softly and kissed his cheeks. “Be safe, and text me when you can, Okay?”  _ I’ll be okay alone... _

 

“Okay.” Alucard picked up his coat from a hook on the wall, the door closing quietly behind him.  _ It won’t be long.  _

 

Terrance watched him leave and ate the rest of his plate in silence.  _ Now I get to finish this bottle.  _ He downed his drink before starting to drink straight from the bottle, curling up in his small nest. The omega continued to drink from the bottle, ¾ths of the bottle gone two hours later as he giggled.  _ It smells like… like Ali…  _ Terrance sipped at the rest of the bottle, getting extraordinarily giggly and wandering outside, and laying down to look at the clear sky above him.  _ The sky bunnies look so fluffy…. _

 

Damien looked up from his book inside the house, hearing giggling through the window.  _ Hm?  _ He looked out, his eyebrows shooting up as he saw Terrance on his front lawn, drunk out of his mind with a nearly-empty vodka bottle in hand.  _ Well shit…  _ Damien closed his book, meandering outside and going over to where Terrance was, on one knee next to him. “Hello Terrance… feeling okay?” 

 

“The sky bunnies are really really fluffy…” Terrance giggled like a child, lifting the bottle to his lips and sipping from it again.  _ I like this, this is nice.  _

 

Damien sighed, chuckling softly and looking up at the sky.  _ He’s a giggly drunk…  _ “They are very fluffy... honey, is your mate home?”  _ Does he know you’re this drunk? _

 

Terrance seemed to sober up immediately. “He’s… he’s not home…. he-he had to go to work…” He sniffled, moving to take another sip of the bottle.  _ He left… and I have to get rid of it... _

 

Damien nodded, his eyes softening as he saw how upset the thought made him. “I’m sorry, honey…. do you want to come over? Lathe will want to see you….”  _ You need supervision.  _

 

“Cookies!” Terrance sat up, letting the bottle down on its side and looking towards the open house door. He stumbled as he got to his feet, going up the porch steps and into the house.  _ Cookies! Lathe made me cookies!  _

 

Damien was surprised as Terrance suddenly got up, grabbing the bottle and quickly following him, managing to catch him just as he tripped over the front step before he smashed his nose into the floor. “Slow down, honey, where are the cookies?” 

 

“Uhm… Uhm…. up-upstairs?”  _ They’re in the nest… in the nest... _

 

“Okay, honey, let’s go, okay?” Damien led Terrance up the stairs, leading him into the room with the large nest, seeing something in the sheets.  _ What…. oh.  _ **_Oh._ ** “Oh, honey, I’m so sorry….” Damien pulled Terrance close and rubbed his back soothingly. “I’m sorry you don’t have pups…. it’ll happen someday soon, I know it will, just give it time….”  _ Well shit…. _

 

_ Huh?..... oh, he saw the negative test…. _ Terrance nodded, looking over to the tray of cookies. “Cookies?”  _ Can he take the cookies for me?  _ He tried to wrap his arms around Damien’s shoulders, wanting to be picked up and held. 

 

Damien instinctively picked him up, managing to hold onto him and the plate of cookies, carrying him downstairs, smiling softly as his tail and ears came out, seeing his tail slowly wag.  _ That’s actually pretty cute.  _ He shut the door behind them carefully, bringing Terrance to the house across the street. “Lathe?”

 

“Yeah- oh my god.” Lathe could smell the strong scent of alcohol, seeing a very drunk Terrance in Damien’s arms. “Get him in the den.” 

 

Terrance picked his head up, purring as he was held.  _ He’s holding me…  _ He trilled happily as he was carried, whining when he was set down and realized he didn’t have his bottle of Smirnoff.  _ Where’d it go?  _ Terrance looked around with his glassy eyes, trying to find his bottle. 

 

_ …..oh no… he wants liquor…  _ “Do you want your bottle again?” He watched Terrance nod. “I’ll go get it, honey….” Damien left him, quickly going to fetch the bottle from upstairs, seeing the other bottles in the kitchen.  _ Wow… he’s really broken up about it to have so much….  _ Damien grabbed a bottle of whiskey, coming back to the house, finding Lathe petting Terrance as the omega cried.  _ Damn….  _

 

Terrance seemed to perk up a bit as he saw Damien.  _ Does he…  _ He reache for the almost empty bottle of Smirnoff from him.  _ Want… want my bottle... _

 

Damien let Terrance have it back, sitting in the nest, looking to Lathe.  _ I saw a negative pregnancy test in his nest…. _

 

_ Fuck… he’s so upset about it….  _ Lathe pet Terrance behind the ears, kissing his head.  _ Poor baby….  _

 

Terrance sniffled a bit, calming down as he sipped at the rest of the bottle, curling up to Lathe.  _ I feel numb… it’s nice... _ He finished off the bottle. purring and curling up to Lathe before he looked at Damien.  _ Ali? Ali’s home?  _ Terrance crawled over to Damien’s lap and curled up to him.  _ Ali’s safe... _

 

Damien looked confused, though he let Terrance do what he wanted, burying a hand in his hair. “It’s okay, honey… you’re okay….”  _ This is okay… Lathe won’t get mad, and you’re upset and drunk as hell, it’s okay….  _

 

Terrance purred as he felt Damien’s hands in his hair, passing out and going limp in his arms.  _ No more pups…more drinks…. _

 

Damien sighed, looking to Lathe.  _ What should we do? _

 

_ Let him sleep…. we should stay here with him….  _ Lathe moved over, Damien settling Terrance between the both of them.  _ We’ll keep him safe.  _

 

_ Okay.  _

 

Terrance stretched as he woke up early in the morning, whining a bit from the bright light.  _ It’s bright…. really bright… I thought the blinds were closed?  _ He looked around in confusion, figuring out where he was when he took in the scent.  _ Damien’s here…. where’s Lathe?  _

 

Damien looked up from where he was napping near Terrance, blinking slowly. “Lathe isn’t home- he got called into work. There was a real preemie that needed attention. ….you got really drunk last night, drank an entire bottle of vodka… are you okay?” Damien sat up, looking him over.  _ You don’t look that bad…  _

 

Terrance nodded. “Fuck, I’m sorry, I should’ve locked the doors before I started drinking…”  _ I should’ve known that I’d wander…  _ He slowly sat up, rubbing his face to wake himself up some more.  _ Well… what the hell am I supposed to do? I can’t tell unless…  _ “Where’s your bathroom?”  _ I should check... _

 

“It’s just down that hall there, on your right. Can’t miss it.” Damien stretched, starting to stand. “Let me make you breakfast- you must be hungry. And it’s fine, don’t worry. I’ve had college friends do  **much** worse when drunk.” Damien chuckled.  _ I was always the most sober one, so I always got stuck with caring for a bunch of whiny teenagers.  _

 

Terrance blushed a bit, looking down. “I um… just a small bowl of cereal will be okay…” He went to go to the bathroom, making sure got lock himself in there before he calmed down a bit and went to use the toilet, disheartened when there wasn’t a bloody mess.  _ Not yet…. I didn’t drink enough yet... _

 

Damien nodded, smiling softly and meandering into the kitchen to get him cereal.  _ Lathe will share his chocolate cereal… omegas and their sugar….  _

 

Terrance finished rather quickly in the bathroom, looking around to the almost quiet house. _ So, Lathe’s not home…. _ He slowly made his way down to the kitchen, hearing Damien moving around.  _ Well...he’s getting me cereal... _

 

Damien soon set down a small bowl of cereal for him, smiling softly to the omega. “I hope chocolate is okay.”  _ It always makes Lathe smile…..  _

 

Terrance smiled softly and nodded, picking up the spoon and slowly eating it. _ I should probably go back home and try and keep drinking… It needs to happen…  _ “I’m sorry I bothered you guys, I’m gonna head back home once I’m done eating….” 

 

“That’s okay, honey. You didn’t bother us, we wanted to make sure you were okay. ….I’m so sorry, honey.” Damien gently ruffled Terrance’s hair. “If you find yourself really upset or lonely while your mate’s gone, please, don’t hesitate to come over… we want you to be okay. You’re part of the pack.”  _ You’re part of Lathe’s pack, and mine too now. We’ll take care of you. _

 

Terrance nodded, looking down at the bowl as he ate quietly. “I like to look at the sky when I’m drunk…. and we have trees in the back yard… so I’ll probably go to the front to look up…”  _ That’s probably what I did last night... _

 

“That’s what you did last night… I went to fetch you from your front yard, I was afraid you’d wander off or into the street… you tripped on your way into the house to get the cookies and almost broke your nose… I managed to catch you… just… be careful, okay honey? We’ll be here if you get drunk again.”  _ It’s okay.  _

 

Terrance nodded. “Thank you…” He finished off his bowl putting it in the sink and about to leave when Damien gave him the tray of cookies back. “Oh, I’m gonna go eat these now…” He smiled once more before leaving the house and entering his own to grab the other bottle of Smirnoff and starting to drink again.  _ It needs to happen, I need to get rid of it... _

 

Damien smiled as he left, closing the door and going back to the nest, picking up his book again.  _ Here we go…  _ He was settled in for a while when he heard distant giggling again, looking out the window and seeing Terrance wasted again, giggling at the sky bunnies.  _ Oh my god.  _ Damien came out onto the porch, trying to decide what to do.  _ ….I’ll read on the porch. I’ll intervene if he wanders off.  _

 

Terrance continually lifted the empty bottle to his lips, trying to get the last drop or two out of the bottle, giggling as he watched the sky.  _ I locked the door like Damien wanted… I’ll be okay…  _ He purred as he snuggled closer to the blanket he brought out as well as the pillow.  _ The sky bunnies are moving fast.  _

 

Damien let Terrance exist on his lawn, reading and glancing up to make sure he was fine.  _ ….he’s probably the cutest drunk I’ve ever seen. Watching the sky bunnies on the lawn with a blanket and pillow…. ….that’s fucking adorable.  _

 

Terrance soon sat up, looking at his empty bottle, and getting up to go to the house, trying for the door and finding it locked.  _ Huh? But I looked the inside not the outside???  _ He was confused, but started to look around for the key.  _ I want the other bottle… need more, it’s not gone yet... _

 

Damien saw his confusion, getting up and walking across the street. “Honey? What’s wrong?” He saw him tug on the door and whine, thinking. “.....you locked the door  **after** you came outside, didn’t you.” Damien chuckled softly, shaking his head. “I’m sorry, honey… do you know where the spare key is?” 

 

“I locked the inside! Not the outside…” He looked at one of the potted plants near the bushes, trying to push it over and unable to do so with how weak and uncoordinated he was. _ It’s here... _

 

Damien nodded at his logic, tipping the plant up for him and taking the key. “When you lock it, it does it for both, honey….” Damien unlocked the door, quietly pocketing the key.  _ I don’t want him to lock it inside.  _

 

Terrance squealed as he was let in, taking the empty and putting it on the counter before opening another bottle of vodka.  _ Another one!  _ He giggled as he raised it to his lips, a happy smile on his face.

 

Damien sighed, concerned.  _ How the fuck are you drinking so much?  _ Damien let Terrance come back outside, sitting him down in his tiny nest on the front lawn again. “Okay, honey, there you go.”  _ Better? _

 

Terrance nodded, sipping at his bottle while staring up at the sky. “The sky bunnies are moving really fast…. they’re hopping away from a storm.”  _ It’s gonna rain…. But Alpha’s not home, I gotta wait for Alpha... _

 

“Are they?” Damien looked up, seeing how fast they were moving.  _ ….he’s actually right.  _ “I’m gonna be on the porch reading, honey. When it starts to rain I’ll come get you, okay?”  _ We’ll make sure you’re okay…. you’re drinking a lot of alcohol and if anything bad happens, we’ll have a doctor on the scene.  _

 

Terrance nodded, watching him leave before sipping at the bottle again.  _ I like this… it’s nice…  _ He watched the storm clouds roll into the area, chasing away the sky bunnies.  _ I should go inside….  _

 

Damien looked up as he heard thunder, surprised when he saw no trace of Terrance or his stuff on the front lawn.  _ Oh. … Shit.  _ Damien set down his book and immediately went across the street, finding the door unlocked and poking his head in. “Honey? Are you here?”

 

Terrance poked his head up, shaking from where he was on the floor, hidden by the island in the kitchen. “Y-Yeah?”  _ It’s scary… it’s loud, I don’t like it... _

 

“Oh no, honey….” Damien came into the house, kneeling next to Terrance. “It’s okay, I know it’s loud, but the thunder won’t hurt you…. here, do you wanna come over? I’ll keep you safe while it rains.”  _ It’s okay.  _

 

Terrance looked confused, yelping and jumping into Damien’s arms as another clap of thunder practically shook the house.  _ It’s loud, I don’t like it... _

 

Damien gathered him up in his arms, grabbing the plate of cookies on the counter as an afterthought and leaving the house, quickly getting them across the street just before it actually began to rain, getting him and his own book inside.  _ It’s okay.  _

 

Terrance was shaking horribly in his arms, gripping onto his bottle of vodka and a cookie.  _ Cookie…. sugar, want sugar... _

 

Damien brought Terrance into the nest, settling him down and letting him have the cookies, keeping the omega in his lap, petting him. “It’s okay, honey, I’ve got you.”  _ It’s fine.  _

 

Terrance ate the cookies and once they were gone he switched over to the bottle of vodka and started to drink that, calming down and relaxing more.

 

Damien gently pet the omega, playing with his ears, smiling as it made Terrance go lax in his arms.  _ I’ve got you.  _

 

Terrance jumped every so often after a loud clap of thunder sounded.  _ Still loud…. need to drink more.  _ He drank a few more sips of his bottle, soon capping it and curling up in Damien’s arms.  _ I want Ali to come home…  _ His tail wagged lazily as he started to fall asleep quickly.

 

Damien held onto him protectively, rubbing his back, looking up when Lathe finally came home.  _ He’s really drunk again… and he’s scared of the thunder... _

 

_ Poor baby….. I’ll make more cookies, he’ll need the sugar….  _

 

Terrance woke up an hour later smelling the sweet scent of cookies.  _ Hmm…. cookies…  _ His eyes were bloodshot and glassy as he blinked away, groaning as he moved in Damien’s arms.  _ I feel sore…. _

 

Damien looked down, smiling softly and helping Terrance slowly stretch. “Sore?” He watched him nod, gently laying him down and going to gently massage his shoulders, smiling as the omega turned to putty.  _ He’s so tense….. _

 

Terrance sighed quietly and he practically melted with Damien’s hands all over his back and shoulders. He squirmed a little as his sides were touched, whining as his hands strayed a bit.  _ His hands feel so nice, and he’s stretching out my back... _

 

Damien apologized quietly when Terrance whined, smiling when he finished with his back and shoulders, Terrance limp in the nest. “Feel better?”

 

Terrance nodded, looking up to him and outside where it was still raining really hard. “The sky foxes are sad…. the sky bunnies didn’t stay…”  _ They chased them away and now they’re crying…. _

 

“I know…. the sky bunnies all hopped away…” Damien gently pet him, glancing to Lathe.  _ He was staring up at the sky and watching the sky bunnies… the fluffy clouds.  _

 

_ Kinda figured.  _ Lathe brought over a plate of cookies, gently petting Terrance and setting the plate in front of him. “Here’s something nice and sweet… I’ll make you something better to eat. Do you like beef or fish better?”  _ I don’t know exactly what you like…. You’re either a kitten or a puppy and I’m not sure which.  _

 

_ Cookies! Uhm…. I like both… Ali lets me eat both…. _ He purred as he ate quite a few of the cookies.  _ Sugar… I like sugar… _ Terrance let Lathe and Damien pet him as his ears came out. His tail wagged slowly as he purred more and more, soon his eyes looking around for the bottle of vodka he had.  _ Want more... _

 

“What kind of fish do you like best, honey?”  _ You seem a bit more like a cat to me, but I dunno, I might just be biased.  _

 

_ What’s a cat? Why am I a cat? I like salmon… and tuna… _ He picked up a cookie and nibbled on it before grabbing the bottle he’d come with.  _ More vodka... _

 

“Honey…. take it a bit easy on the alcohol, okay?” Lathe reached out and barely touched the bottle, watching Terrance whine and give him puppy eyes. “You’ve had a lot today…. ...you can have more after you eat, okay? I can make you salmon if you want. And a cat is…. well….” Lathe looked over his shoulder, thinking.  _ They’re good at hiding….. where would they be….?  _ Lathe stood up, going into the kitchen and fetching a small bag of treats from on top of the fridge. “Jasper? Honey, where are you?” He shook the small bag, smiling when a cupboard door created open, the calico cat peeking out at him. “Hi honey… come here, baby.” Lathe fed her a treat, scooping her up and gently petting the cat as she nuzzled into his chest, carrying them to the nest. “This is a cat, Terrance. This kitty is Jasper. Jasper, honey, this is Terrance, he’s part of my pack. Say hi, honey.” He smiled as Jasper looked at Terrance and meowed, batting at him.  _ Aw….  _

 

Terrance looked at Jasper with confusion, but gently reached out to try and pet Jasper. 

 

The cat looked at his hand as it came to pet her, sniffing him before allowing him to pet her, soon turning to lick his hand.  _ He pets nice.  _

 

Terrance purred automatically as he was licked and let his tail wag a bit more.  _ It likes me... _

 

Lathe was surprised as Jasper hopped out of his arms and went to lick Terrance’s face, nuzzling him affectionately.  _ Wow. She loves you.  _ Lathe smiled, petting him. “I’ll get you some salmon, honey. And kitty too.” He smiled as Jasper immediately perked up, petting her. “Yep, you get salmon too, honey.”  _ My babies get fish. _

 

Terrance purred, rubbing up against her as well and scenting her.  _ She’s nice, I like her….  _ He snagged another cookie and nibbled at it, giving a small chocolateless piece to them. His ears were perked as he watched them eat.  _ Big teeth….Like Ali’s…. I want Ali to come home... _

 

“Ali will be home soon enough, honey…. don’t worry too much, okay? He’ll come home in one piece, like he always does.”  _ He’ll come home okay. _

 

Terrance whined. “But…. but I’m thirsty, I want Ali to come home…” He whined and started to cry as he pet Jasper.  _ I want Alpha to come home, I want more drink…. _

 

“He’ll be home soon, honey, but I know he’ll be home before you know it and you can drink all that you need. It’s okay.” 

 

Terrance pouted, grabbing another cookie and whining as he pinned his ears.  _ I want Ali… I want Drac home too... _

 

“They’ll both be home soon, honey…. I know they’ll hurry back to you.”  _ It’s okay.  _

 

Jasper mewed as Terrance’s ears pinned, going to climb onto his back, rolling around and affectionately kneading his back.  _ Don’t be sad….  _

 

Terrance let Jasper knead his back, yelping as she got close to his sides.  _ Not there, I don’t like there…. _

 

Damien shook his head, watching Terrance as he ate and cuddled with Lathe.  _ He is…. A  _ **_massive_ ** _ cockblock…. but him drunk is too adorable to push away.  _ He watched over Terrance on his week off as Lathe got called into work every other day.  _ He keeps asking for alcohol, and I can’t tell if it’s just him trying to cope or what… but he’s been sensitive about certain things, especially any mention of Alucard or Drac. I turned the TV on two weeks ago and he was all over the news in Brazil and last week a few stations covered paranoia in Britain…. I’ve been trying to check my phone and I think I read something about Nazis taking over, and something about the Catholic Church as well….  _ Damien looked to where Terrance was cradling a bottle in a makeshift nest in the backyard.  _ I’ve been catching up on reading and he’s easy to watch. I’m surprised he’s doing so well with all the alcohol in his system….. He passes out, he wakes up. he eats something- usually full of sugar- and then he drinks a bottle and a half at least…. if not more… I’m worried about him, he’s not taking any of this well… and I haven’t been able to do anything with Lathe at all, and I’m getting horribly frustrated…. but I’m not about to let Terrance go back home alone… _ He looked up as Lathe opened the back patio door. “He’s up to a bottle and a half….. that’s a record for before lunch…” 

 

Lathe has circles under his eyes, nodding. “I know…. he’s…. I’m worried…” Lathe seizes the moment to crawl into Damien’s lap, shaking faintly. “The pups…. I don’t feel good… I know you were down here to sleep, b-but I threw up at least four times last night… I…. I feel horrible…” Lathe clutched at Damien, trying to slot their necks together. “I m-miss you…. I don’t wanna go to w-work t-tomorrow….”

 

Damien nodded, instantly slotting their necks together and letting Lathe drown in his scent. “Okay, I’ll call you in that you’re getting sick, they’ll understand with this being your first litter in a long time… I want you to sleep with me tonight, Okay?”  _ You need more contact…. _

 

Lathe nodded, whimpering as their scents finally mixed. “I needed you…. I m-missed you…”  _ I want my mate….  _ Lathe let Damien move them to lie down, clinging to him.  _ I haven’t been scented in forever…. _

 

Damien kissed what open skin he could reach as he scented Lathe, lathering him.  _ I know, I know, I’m right here, I’ll always be right here for you…  _ He crooned to him softly, glad Terrance was too incapacitated to whine back.  _ This is our little moment…  _

 

Lathe moaned softly, turning into putty, jumping a bit at his touch.  _ I need to get used to your touch again… ….I love Terrance, I really do, but fuck, I missed you…  _ Lathe reached for him, his head falling back as Damien let him guide his lips to his neck, moaning softly as the soft skin was met with gentle and rough sucks and nips. 

 

Damien groaned as he tasted the sweet oils on his tongue. “Hmmm…. should we send him home? Do you think he’ll be okay? I think Alucard might be home in a few days…”  _ I hope so anyways….  _

 

“....let’s let him stay down here… the gates are locked and the back door is open, he’ll wander inside when he wants…. he’ll be fine…” Lathe let Damien move, sighing in relief as he was lifted, leaning his head on Damien’s shoulder. “......our nest upstairs needs some more scenting…..” 

 

“As you wish, Love.”  _ I can do that…  _ Damien kept him close, taking him up to their nest and letting out his scent tenfold.  _ I want him to relax, and be able to have restful sleep…  _

 

Lathe let Damien lie him down, groaning as the scent filled the room, his own sweet scent filtering out in response.  _ I love you….  _ Lathe looked up at him, suddenly very aware of his puppy belly, turning scarlet, curling up.  _ I don’t know if he’ll want… that… with me having a puppy belly… ….I probably don’t look too sexy… ….not that I do anyway…..  _

 

Damien crooned happily as he smelled his sweet scent sucking at Lathe’s neck more.  _ Hmm…. we should have enough time….  _ His hands were gentle as he started to run them down Lathe’s sides, fiddling with the hem of his shirt. “Lathe? Do you want me to take this off?” 

 

Lathe looked up at him, nervous. “...I-If you want to….”  _ You won’t like my belly…. I’m filled with life, but… I won’t look good for you…..  _

 

Damien smiled, stripping both himself and Lathe down. His kisses moved from his neck and chest down to Lathe’s obvious baby belly.  _ He’s full of my pups, he’s going to be having my pups.  _ He crooned as low as he could, his body vibrating as he showered the bump with kisses, slowly getting harder.  _ He smells so sweet…. _

 

Lathe unfurled as Damien kissed all over his stomach, smiling softly. “....do I still….”  _ Do I look okay….? I mean… I’m putting on weight and I’m really pregnant and I just… I wanna be attractive to you….  _

 

“Of course you do, you’re carrying my pups….. our pups…. You’re sexy as hell…. you’ve got a great ass, great thighs a wonderful body, and you’re full of life that we created together…” Damien pulled up to kiss Lathe.  _ I want him to understand he’s beautiful and always…. _

 

Lathe flushed darker, accepting the kiss happily, reaching up to cup Damien’s cheeks.  _ I love you…. a  _ **_lot_ ** _ ….  _ Lathe jumped a bit as Damien’s hands wandered, trying to relax. 

 

Damien chuckled, looking up to him with dark eyes. “Hmm, I’ll fill you up with more pups once this litter is here….”  _ You’ll want more, I’ll give you more…. _ He kissed all over his head, letting his large hands wander, making sure to be careful around Lathe’s abdomen. 

 

Lathe’s flush went down his neck, stuttering. “I-I’d r-really like that….” Lathe let his hands cover the ones on his abdomen, smiling nervously.  _ I love you… a lot…. …..I’m full of life and I love it…. I want lots…... _

 

Damien smirked, kissing his abdomen before letting his hands slide down to his hole.  _ Hmm, he’s making slick… this’ll be nice…  _

 

Lathe tensed a bit as Damien’s hand finally went south, relaxing as his finger circled his hole.  _ I needed this…. I missed you so bad…..  _ Lathe sniffled, reaching up to gently push back some of Damien’s hair as it fell in his face.  _ …...you’re really handsome…. _

 

Damien smiled as he looked up to Lathe with dark eyes. His hands were gentle against his hole, his mouth trailing down to lick at Lathe’s smaller length.  _ Hmm you always like when I do this…  _

 

Lathe jumped a bit, his expression immediately shifting to one of pleasure, gasping as Damien began to lap at him and gently suck.  _ Fuck, I missed this…  _ Lathe’s hands wandered through Damien’s hair and over his shoulders, encouraging.  _ I love it…. fuck….  _

 

Damien crooned as he continued, his fingers slowly working their way into him.  _ He’s so tight…  _ He lifted his head, looking at Lathe with dark eyes. “So tight, you’ll be so good for me…” 

 

Lathe’s chest filled with fluttery purrs, breathing slow.  _ I want it….  _ He whined softly, his length rock hard under Damien’s tongue. “....I-I’m gonna c-cum if you keep it u-up….”  _ I’m so sensitive…  _

 

Damien chuckled, kissing his hip. “Hmm, I want you feeling good, I’ll make you cum, if you want to cum first?”  _ I can work you to cum a few times... _

 

Lathe slowly nodded, looking excited. “Y-Yeah….. Is like th-that….. h-hah!” Lathe jerked a bit as Damien sucked harder, whimpering.  _ Too good…. _

 

Damien kept his pace, sucking him a bit harder.  _ He likes this…  _ His fingers curled to aim for Lathe’s sweet spot, loving the moans that left his mouth.  _ He sounds wonderful... _

 

Lathe whimpered, his gasps heightening in pitch. “O-Oh god… h-haaaah….” Lathe’s hold on Damien’s shoulders tightened, shaking as he finally came, crying out.  _ Fuck, so good….  _ His body jerked as he came down from his high, slumping when Damien’s tongue left him, reaching for him. “...’mere…..”  _ Wanna cuddle….  _ Lathe clung to Damien, trying to resist sleep as he was held and pet.  _ I love you…. I need to recharge a bit….  _

 

Damien chuckled, settling down beside him and letting him hold him, his length still hard against Lathe’s lower thigh.  _ Fuck he’s gonna be tired…  _

 

Lathe looked up at him with tired eyes, his thigh gently pressing against him, rubbing his slick length. “....help me wake up?”  _ I don’t wanna leave you like this…. I really don’t….  _

 

“Hmm, you should be getting sleep though, shouldn’t you?”  _ You’ve got bags under your eyes….  _ “I want you and the pups to be okay, I can take care of myself…” His voice was soft as his hands gently ran through Lathe’s hair.  _ I’m happy he’s calmed down... _

 

“.......I wanna watch……” Lathe looked up at him with dark eyes.  _ ….that’d be really hot….  _

 

Damien smirked, kissing his cheeks before backing up and sitting back in the nest, making sure Lathe could see everything as he grabbed a bottle of lube near him.  _ Fuck, I haven’t done this in awhile, I’m gonna go quick... _

 

Lathe chuckled softly, settling more comfortably in the nest, watching with hungry eyes as Damien dropped lube into his hand, watching his thick fingers encircle his length.  _ …...you’re so gorgeous like that….  _

 

Damien groaned as his hand slowly pumped up his entire length. “Hmm, I can’t wait until I can… Hngh, fuck…. can’t wait until I can be inside of you again…”  _ You’ll be so tight.  _ He closed his eyes in bliss as he rubbed thumb against his slit.  _ Fuck yes…. _

 

Lathe sighed deeply, his eyes dark as he watched.  _ ….I can’t wait either… I want you again…. mm, tomorrow morning…. wake me up like that…..  _ Lathe smirked as Damien flushed, chuckling.  _ You like the thought of that, don’t you?  _ Lathe let affection curl up in Damien’s chest.  _ I love you….  _

 

Damien couldn’t help but croon, getting closer and closer to cumming.  _ Fuck it feels so good…  _ He quickened his pace as his coil tightened, letting out a guttural groan and cumming into his hand.  _ Fuck that felt great.  _

 

“.....fuck, that’s hot…..” Lathe slowly crawled over to him, reaching for his hand before he could wipe off his cum, his eyes dark as he slowly lapped up his release.  _ I wanna be good for you…. _

 

Damien watched with dark eyes, moving to pick Lathe up in his arms. “Let’s get you some sleep, okay? I’ll nap with you tonight…”   _ I need some sleep, I’m tired…  _

 

Terrance looked around, the sky darkening as he got up, wobbly at first but finding his footing. He took a blanket with him as he wandered to the gate, pushing it, confused when it wouldn’t give.  _ Huh? Is it locked? I can unlock it… _ It didn’t take him much longer to escape the backyard and venture to the next house over.

 

Scotty sat at the kitchen table, practicing writing.  _ My hand is getting stronger, which is good… I’m getting back up to speed with writing and typing… thank fuck my hands actually work.  _ He looked up as he heard shuffling on the back porch, confused and alarmed when he saw someone at the back door, pawing it open.  _ The fuck?!?!  _ “Who the fuck are you?” Scotty jumped up, instinctively backing into the kitchen and drawing a kitchen knife from the set on the counter.  _ Who the fuck is that?!?!  _ “Get the fuck out of my house!!” 

 

Terrance looked confused, holding his blanket and his empty bottle. “Ali? Is ali home?”  _ I want Alpha, who is this?  _ “But…. But nest….” 

 

“The fuck?”  _ He looks very drunk, and  _ **_very_ ** _ confused.  _ Scotty was on guard as the man stepped closer, careful to use his better hand and punching him in the gut, watching him fall and collapse on the floor, unconscious. “....Casper?!”  _ Help! _

 

Terrance gasped as he was hit in his gut, feeling panic sink in as well as a numbness settle in his bones. His eyes rolled into his skull as he collapsed with the blanket, his bottle cracking as the thick glass hit the floor.

 

Casper rushed downstairs, a pair of sharp shears in hand. “What, what?!” Casper ran into the kitchen, his eyes wide as he saw Terrance on the floor. “Oh fuck, that’s Terrance…” Casper quickly set down his shears and knelt on the floor, scooping him right up. “He lives across from Lathe, he’s a total sweetheart, he must just be drunk out of his mind… Lathe has been watching him for a while, his mate is in Europe fighting that Nazi force. He’s part of the pack.” Casper moved him to the couch, gently tucking him in. “He’s still breathing, he should be fine….”  _ Damn….  _

 

Scotty sighed in relief. “I’m sorry… I just… I just thought that… that he was someone we didn't know… he came in through the back door… I punched him, I didn’t want to use the knife I had… Is he…. is he an omega? Should he even be this drunk?”  _ It smells like he drank that whole bottle…  _

 

“He’s an omega, yeah… he’s… he’s been doing nothing but eat, sleep, and drink for the past few weeks…. he didn’t get pregnant after his last heat and it really broke him up… thank you for not stabbing him, that would’ve been bad….” Casper sighed, looking up to Scotty. “....it’s gotten pretty bad… Lathe and Damien have had to be babysitters for a while and Lathe’s pregnancy isn’t going so smoothly as a result… have you seen him lately?”  _ He kinda looks like shit… I love him, but god damn, he looks like he hasn’t slept and has stopped eating…. it’s bad…  _

 

“We can keep him until the lunatic comes back…”  _ I can only imagine what’s going through his head.  _ Scotty shook his head, looking at Terrance with sorrow. “I hope Alucard comes home, the alcohol has embedded into his scent…”  _ That’s all I can smell, other than a sweet omega…. kinda like Lathe, but it’s so faint it honestly could just be Lathe that I smell... _

 

“You’re right, I can only smell alcohol… and, well….. oooooohh.”

 

“What?”

 

“Lathe and Damien are probably too busy getting reacquainted to babysit.”  _ That sounds about right.  _

 

“Probably how he ended up here in the first place…”  _ I really hope he’ll be okay soon…. _ “You don’t think it’s actually him that smells like that, do you?” Scotty looked concerned, carefully touching his abdomen and feeling him flinch almost immediately, even in his unconscious state.  _ But then again, I did punch him in the gut... _

 

“Damien saw the negative test in his nest, there’s no way he’d be drinking so much if he were pregnant… and you just punched him in the gut, he’s probably being defensive about that…” Casper sighed, looking him over. “...I hope he’s okay…” 

 

Scotty shrugged, looking to Casper and moving closer to him to kiss his cheeks. “Let’s wait until he wakes up.”  _ I don’t know what he’s gonna feel like when he wakes up…. I better get a puke bucket ready in case he needs to puke... _

 

_ That’s probably a good idea.  _ Casper nodded, kissing Scotty’s lips softly before going to settle in a chair nearby, picking up a book from the coffee table. “Are you done with this yet?” Casper held it up to show him the cover.  _ I could use something like this… a bit of economics never hurt anybody.  _

 

Scotty chuckled. “Yeah, I’m done with it, go ahead and read it, I’m gonna go back to trying to make dinner…” 

 

Terrance woke up an hour and a half later, his eyes blurry, pain ripping through his sides, his chest heaving as panic was settling in.  _ Pups…..  _ His eyes were wide when he looked around, not recognizing anything.  _ Where am I? Fuck….. it hurts…. it really hurts…  _

 

Casper looked up as Terrance suddenly moved, seeing his pain and immediately dropping his book. “Honey? Honey, it’s Casper, your neighbor. Do you feel okay? What hurts?”  _ I can help you….  _

  
Terrance whimpered, shaking his head and closing his eyes. He stayed curled up in a ball, pain taking over his sides and all the way up his spine.  _ It really hurts….  _ When he opened his eyes they were a bright red.  _ It hurts, pups… pups are gone... _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please comment! I love to hear your thoughts and suggestions about my writing! Don’t forget to subscribe more more updates.


	12. Too Small To Keep

Casper stared in absolute shock as Terrance’s eyes turned red.  _ …...you’re…… you were trying to get rid of pups?  _ “You were pregnant?”  _ Oh fuck…  _ Casper knew the pups were gone, going to gather Terrance into his arms, feeling the omega shake. “I’m so sorry…. But… why?” 

 

“I wanna go home… I-I wanna go home…” Terrance struggled to get out of Casper’s arms, his whole body shaking horribly as he struggled to stand, contractions already kicking in to reject the pups.  _ I can’t…. I can’t have pups…  _

 

Casper nodded, looking hurt.  _ …..they’re going to be small and underdeveloped… they won’t survive….  _ “Let’s go, honey….” Casper scooped him up, looking to Scotty. “Open the door, please….” 

 

Scotty looked confused but followed anyways, opening the door before them and closing it behind them. “Casper?”  _ What the hell is going on?  _ He followed closely as Casper held onto Terrance as he started to cry out in pain, gripping onto Casper’s clothes. 

 

“....he was pregnant…. he’s miscarrying.” Casper murmured softly to the omega as they walked to his house, glad the door was unlocked, Casper looking back to Scotty. “I’ll take care of him… I’ll call you if we need you, okay?”  _ I’ll text when this is over… I’ll let you know what happened….  _

 

Scotty took a minute to fully understand the situation.  _ Casper…. He didn’t take his med kit… Those pups aren’t going to survive… _ He nodded and closed the door, walking back towards the house, stopping to close Lathe and Damien’s gate.  _ Should probably keep it closed…  _

 

Terrance whimpered, having shifted to his wolf form, with a slight swollen belly, struggling to make it up the stairs, blood already starting to make its way out of him with each painful contraction.  _ It hurts… it hurts it hurts…  _

 

Casper helped him up the stairs, getting him into his nest and taking a dark towel from the nest to gently wipe at the blood. “I know it hurts, honey, I’m so sorry…. just let it happen, do what feels right…”  _ There’s no easy way to do this….  _

 

Terrance whined, his ears pinning as he struggled in the nest, whimpering horribly.  _ It hurts….  _ He pushed when he felt like he had to, the first small fetus coming after a few more minutes, Terrance moving to lick it, the small pink form barely developed, and not much more than a core and a head. His inner omega was slowly driving him insane.  _ My pups…. my pups…. no no no…. my pups…  _

 

Casper gently held the tiny pup, letting him lick it’s head. “....I’m so sorry…” He gently set them down next to him on another towel, covering them.  _ …...I’m so sorry….  _ “Just breathe, honey, just breathe….” 

 

Terrance continued to whine, his ears pinned as he tries to get up, moving himself close to where the pup was, uncovering it and nosing it.  _ No no… want pup to be okay… my pup….  _ His scent soured and became putrid, much worse than his scent had ever been before.  _ Want pup….  _

 

“.....honey….. I’m so sorry… they’re just…. they’re gone….” Casper reached to gently pet him, trying to let out a calming scent. “.....honey….. I’m so sorry…. why…. why did you try so hard to get rid of them?”  _ You… you’ve been drinking until you run out of liquor…. I just…. I don’t understand….  _

 

_ Alpha…. alpha didn’t want pups…. I didn't want pups….  _ Terrance moved to lick himself as the next pup came, picking it up in his jaws and putting it between his paws to lick clean.  _ My pup….  _

 

Casper smiled softly, gently straightening out the towel the first pup laid on, cleaning up some of the blood as they waited for the third, soon presenting another to him. “....one day you’ll both be ready for them…. I know it could be hard with your mate gone…. but once he comes home and settles down you might find yourselves ready to start a family… ...take your time getting there…”  _ ……..you would’ve made a good Mom…. I just… I feel horrible…. for the pups, and for the Mom… that you have to see this…  _

 

Terrance whined horribly as he felt another pup on it’s way, grabbing it before Casper could have a chance and licking it clean before setting it with the others to nudge.  _ My…… my pups…. _ His ears stayed pinned to his head, whining as he felt the contractions increase.  _ There’s more…. _

 

Casper let him take the pups, still cleaning away the blood from his lower half, letting him take the next.  _ Pup after pup….. he would’ve had such a big litter…..  _

 

Terrance whined, the 9th pup coming covered in the placenta as he finally finished. He whimpered, nudging his pups and crying horribly.  _ My…. my pups, they’re not moving…. _ His ears were pinned as he struggled to warm them up, licking them feverently.

 

“Honey…. I’m so sorry…. they… they’re too small….”  _ They wouldn’t have been able to move for a while still…  _ Casper gently pet him, looking over the pups.  _ ….what’re we gonna do with them….?  _

 

Terrance whined picking each one up and putting them closer to his body, his whimpers quieting down as he curled up around his small pups.  _ Mine, my pups….  _

 

Casper looked heartbroken, letting Terrance curl around the pups.  _ …...nine pups… a full litter….  _ Casper looked them over, his eyes soft. “.....five boys… and four girls…..”  _ They’re so small…  _

 

Alucard was surprised that the front door was unlocked, stunned to be hit with a wave of Terrance’s putrid scent.  _ Oh fuck…  _ He hurried upstairs, coming into the bedroom. “Terrance, what the- ….oh my god.” He froze, taking off his glasses and looking at the nine tiny pups Terrance was curled around, a bloody rag in Casper’s hand. “.....you… you were pregnant…. ….and you just….. you just tried to get rid of them…. didn’t you.”  _ Oh my god.  _

 

Terrance pinned his ears, curling closer around the pups and hiding them from sight. He whined as either of them got closer, finally growling at Alucard, and snapping his jaws.  _ My pups… my pups aren’t moving….  _ He sounded broken and horribly upset as he moved to lick at his still pups.  _ They’re not moving…. _

 

“.....I’m so sorry…. but…. I want to see our pups…..” Alucard slowly knelt, suddenly feeling disoriented, the faint sound of Drac hovering in the background completely gone.  _ ….he’s gone silent….  _ Alucard slowly reached out, gently touching one of the pups, petting them. “.....why didn’t you tell me? I… I would’ve wanted to keep them….”  _ We would’ve had so many…..  _

 

Terrance shook his head, starting to cry as Alucard touched his pup, leaning his head into Alucard’s lap.  _ I’m…. I’m sorry…. _ His ears were still pinned as he slowly unfurled, letting Alucard look at the pups.  _ I’m sorry, I……. I didn’t want pups…. _

 

“......I’m so sorry… I should’ve just made sure you took your birth control, you…. you didn’t deserve to suffer like this…” Alucard buried his hand into his fur, looking over the small pups. “......I know it’ll take time…. but when you’re ready… I’ll give you as many pups as you want….”  _ As many as you need…  _

 

Terrance only nodded, letting Alucard pet him.  _ I’m sorry…. I’m really sorry Ali…. _ He whined a bit, looking at the motionless tiny pups, looking over towards Casper.  _ I’m sorry Casper…. I didn’t…. I didn’t mean to drag you along with this... _

 

“It’s okay…. I’m so sorry….” Casper gently pet him, looking down. “I’ll get you cleaned up and then go…. ….I know you’ll both need time alone….” 

 

Terrance nodded and let Casper go about what he was doing, looking to Alucard and back to the pups.  _ Where should we…… _ He couldn't finish his sentence as he looked down to the motionless pups. 

 

“......wherever you want… ….if we do it in the backyard, we can plant something nice above them…. a nice little tree, maybe…..”  _ That would be nice….  _ Alucard felt something, feeling dizzy. “...Drac needs to say something…” 

 

The man looked down at the nine pups, his eyes glassy.  _ …..pups…..  _ He gently reached to pick one up, holding it close and beginning to silently cry.  _ Pups….  _

 

Terrance looked up to Drac as he held a pup and started to cry.  _ I’m… I’m sorry Alpha….  _ He looked down, getting up and moving away from him with his tail tucked.  _ I’m sorry….  _

 

Drac looked up at him, reaching out. “Don’t go… come here, please….” Drac coaxed Terrance closer, pulling him close to lie down again with the pups. “....I’m sorry…. I tried to tell you th-that I’d be okay with them…. I just…. you didn’t have to be scared to say you didn’t want them… I would’ve… I would’ve wanted to be here… we could’ve done it some other way… ...even if we just gave them up when it was time for them to be here… not…. not like this….” 

 

Terrance looked down.  _ I’m sorry, I just, I’m too young to have kids, and and I didn’t know what to do except lie... _ He whined, picking up a pup in his jaws carefully and putting it on his paws to lick and groom. 

 

Drac slowly nodded, kissing his head and petting the tiny pup in his hands. “....when you’re ready….. you’ll know….”  _ I want to be there for that….  _ “.....but…. just know that the war is over…. Anderson is gone, and so are the Nazis…. I’ll be here…. I can stay now…”  _ I’m home.  _

 

Terrance nodded, looking to the pups with pinned ears, struggling to find his footing to try and get up once more.  _ My legs feels weird…  _ He licked at the pups, still trying in vain to get them to move. 

 

Drac reached to ease him back down, gently petting him. “Be careful, honey…. don’t strain yourself.” Drac slowly helped him rise up, setting down the pup he was holding next to their siblings, sniffling. “....let’s…. let’s bring them outside… and look for someplace nice for them, okay?”  _ We’ll find them a nice place to sleep….  _

 

Terrance nodded, whining as he slowly made it towards the stairs, struggling to even go down the first one.  _ I don’t want them to sleep, I want them to wake up…. _

 

Drac sighed, nodding. “I know…. I’m sorry…” Drac gently wrapped them up in their blanket, letting Terrance hold the ends of the blanket closed in his jaws as Drac carried Terrance down the stairs.  _ We can do this….  _ He gently took them back, unfolding the corner of the blanket, the small pack visible.  _ …..they’re so small…. ….they didn’t deserve this…  _

 

Terrance whined as he was set down, and Drac took the blanket from him.  _ I’m…. I’m sorry…. I-I didn’t mean….  _ His ears pinned as he sat down, everything sinking in and hitting him like a ton of bricks.  _ I… I killed my pups….  _ His eyes widened as he started to cry, flopping down to cry. 

 

Drac looked to Terrance, kneeling and holding the pups between them, burying his face in his neck. “.....I’m sorry….”  _ I miss them…. ….I want them to be alive….  _ Drac began to cry, holding onto Terrance.  _ I’m so sorry…  _

 

Terrance cried even harder, guilt swirling in his gut as he started to curl up to himself.  _ I don’t… I don't want them to go…  _ He moved to try and grab the blanket from him.  _ Mine, I don’t want my pups to go…  _

 

Drac very carefully laid down with him, keeping a firm hold on Terrance, the pups between them, safe. “.....honey…. we’ll be okay… we’ll go through this together, okay? I don’t want to take them away from you…. they’ll always be here….” Drac gently pet behind Terrance’s ears, holding onto him.  _ We’ll remember them…. they’ll never really go away.  _

 

Terrance whimpered loudly as he was pet, shaking horribly.  _ I’m… I’m sorry… I’m so sorry… I didn’t…. I didn’t mean…. this is all my fault, I… I should’ve kept them… I’m…. I’m a monster… I killed my pups… _ His scent worsened, growing more and more putrid as he started to freak out.  _ I killed my babies…  _

 

“Honey, it’s… you panicked, you didn’t know what else to do…. it’s gonna be okay. ...I know that wherever they are, they’re happy…. they’ll forgive and love their Mommy… it’s okay…. it’s gonna be okay.” Drac looked to him with soft eyes. “You’re no monster… you weren’t ready and you panicked… it’s… ….it’s tragic, but it’s not unforgivable.” Drac kissed Terrance’s head. “It’s gonna be okay, love…” 

 

Terrance was still shaking horribly, looking up to Drac with scared eyes and shifting into his human form.  _ I need him to hold me.  _ His whole body was shaking as he reached out to hold onto him. “I’m so…. so sorry… I-I…. I didn’t know wh-what to do….” 

 

Drac held him close, the pups still between them, kissing his head. “You weren’t ready, you were scared, you didn't know what else to do…. What happened happened, and we can’t change that. But we’ll learn to be okay.”  _ It’s gonna be okay.  _ Drac kissed his head, smiling softly. “I promise it’ll be okay.”

 

Terrance shook in his arms as he cried, looking to the pups between them and started to cry even more. “They’re…. they’re beautiful…..”  _ Why didn’t I keep them???  _

 

“They are…. nine of them….” Drac looked at the tiny pups, petting them with him. “...we’ll have more someday… I don’t know when that’ll be…. ...whenever you’re ready to try again for pups….. you could take all the time in the world.”  _ It’s okay.  _

 

Terrance looked up to him with big teary eyes. “Can…. can we try again?”  _ They’re so small…. I…. I want more small ones, Drac said I could have pups… I can keep my pups…  _ He whimpered a bit, petting the tiny pink fetuses, trying not to break out in tears once more.

 

“....you want some? Some to keep?” He watched Terrance nod, smiling softly. “Of course…. if you’re sure… but let’s take care of our babies first, okay?” Drac slowly coaxed them to stand, carrying the pups with him to a part of their yard, looking to him. “....an apple tree here would be nice for them… do you think?” 

 

Terrance nodded, smiling sadly and looking at the blanket of pups. “C-can…. can I hold them… wh-while you dig?”  _ They need to be buried... _

 

“Of course.” Drac gently handed Terrance the blanket full of pups, letting him sit on the grass while he went to get a shovel, needing a while to dig a hole deep enough for the pups, eventually sticking the spade into the dirt.  _ …….it’s done…..  _ He looked back to Terrance, going to sit next to him, his voice soft as Terrance curled protectively around the pups. “I’m not going to take them away… ….take your time, honey…..”  _ We have all the time in the world….  _

  
Terrance just started to cry all over again as he held onto his pups, picking each one up and kissing them multiple times before going on to the next pup.  _ I don’t want to put them in the ground…. I want to keep them….  _ It took hours before Terrance finally stood up, slowly moving towards the hole that was created.  _ This…. they’ll be remembered…. always….  _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please comment and subscribe for more updates!
> 
> ~Duke


	13. Good News

_ It’s been a bit more than two years… the apple tree is doing really well, and I hope the pups are okay…  _ Terrance looked back towards the tree, his hand gently touching the glass window between them as he watched it rain.  _ I haven’t been able to get pregnant since…. Casper’s even put me on supplements to make getting pregnant a little easier but even during heat I haven’t been able to conceive… I’ve almost given up on it….  _ He looked across the room to the windows looking over the front lawn as he heard squealing and happy giggles.  _ Eren’s kids are getting bigger… I think they’re almost 2 now…. Casper’s are almost 1, they’re still pups…. They’ll probably be in their wolf forms a bit longer….  _ He sighed, getting up to get himself a mug from the kitchen cabinet, looking at the array and choosing a plain black one. His eyes were downcast as he put water in it, going to microwave it to make it hot before adding a tea bag.  _ I’ve found that I can’t really stay away from Drac for very long, otherwise I’ll get really thirsty for his blood… we found that out after he went to China for two weeks. He came back and I almost put myself into a coma from drinking so much…. Lathe yelled at me for it, and he yelled at Drac too for not stopping me from drinking that much. But we couldn’t stay mad at him with his huge baby bump causing him to waddle. He looked cute…  _ Terrance grinned at the memory from the past few months, picking up his mug and going to sit in his rocking chair and stare out the window and watch the apple tree.  _ No orders have come in…. I’ve been making blankets for the kids…. but they’re already all done… I don’t have anything to do but sit here…. and wait for my heat to come in the next couple days…. I should’ve been starting to feel it already, but I wonder if I’m getting sick or something…  _

 

Drac eventually came home, the door shutting behind him as he carried an armful of groceries inside. “Terrance, honey?” He set down the bag, kissing his mate’s head. “Doing okay?”  _ You’ve been watching the apple tree a lot lately…  _

 

Terrance snapped out of his trance, looking up to Drac with confusion for a moment before he looked down to his tea and nodded. He sipped at the now-cold drink and curled up to himself a little tighter. “Did…. did you get any chocolate?” His voice was small as he stayed curled up in his long shawl, looking back out the window.  _ I want sugar…. _

 

“Of course… the good stuff with the blackberries, too.” Drac handed him the chocolate bar, gently ruffling his hair. “I’m going to put away groceries and get dinner going… ...guess what I got for dinner tonight….”

 

“Fishy fish?”  _ Did they have it? And you got it?  _ He looked up and away from the tree for a bit as he unwrapped the chocolate bar and started to eat it.  _ I like this kind, he knows it’s my favorite... _

 

“Mhm, I got fishy fish, and I even asked for them to add some more of the seasoning… you’ll love it, honey.” Drac set out the container with the fish inside, reaching in to bring out a steak he got for himself.  _ Steak…  _ He got everything put away, starting to work on putting dinner together. “Do you want the mashed potatoes fresh or instant, honey?” 

 

Terrance stretched out, getting up off the chair and quietly making his way to the kitchen and curling up against Drac’s back as he groaned softly. “Hmmm, fresh…….. do I feel warm to you? I should be having my heat soon, like any day now, but….. I’m not in preheat….”  _ I’m…. am I really getting that sick? _

 

Drac turned, pulling Terrance’s head into his neck, feeling his breath on his skin. “.....you feel the same…. but… you don’t  **seem** sick….” Drac looked over him, a finger gently rubbing his skin. “......should I taste to check?”  _ I’ll see what I can taste….. _

 

Terrance nodded, slipping the shawl off his shoulders along with pulling his shirt to the side. “Just…. not a lot, I don’t wanna pass out…”

 

“Of course not, just a taste….” Drac let his teeth gently scrape his skin, lapping up the few scarlet drops that came up.  _ He tastes like… vampire. It’s probably just the amount of blood you drank last night….  _ “....you just taste like vampire… but it’s got to be the blood you drank last night. But there’s nothing else I could think of it being….”  _ Huh.  _

 

Terrance nodded, leaning up to kiss Drac on the jaw. “Thanks Drac…I’ll lay off of your blood from now on….”  _ Hmmm, but blood sounds really good right about now…  _ He shrugged, going to sit back down in his rocking chair.  _ I wish I could’ve kept them….. it’s…. it’s been tough even trying….. I don’t think it’s gonna happen…. _

 

Drac kept on working in the kitchen, quietly working to make the mashed potatoes and steam some vegetables, making Terrance more tea while he waited.  _ ….I hope his heat actually does come along…. we’ve fucked nearly nonstop through his past few heats and no luck… he’s starting to lose hope, and I’m starting to think we might not be able to have more… I don’t want to lose hope… but it’s starting to look bleak.   _

 

Terrance thanked him for the tea, sipping at it as he carefully rocked himself, watching the rain come down outside. He hadn't realized how much time had passed until Drac was shaking him to get his attention.  _ Huh? What? What’s happening?  _

 

Drac gently shook him, a hand coming to his stomach, surprised when Terrance reflexively curled around himself. “Sorry, sorry…. dinner’s ready, honey.” Drac reached to help him up, bringing him to the table.  _ Food.  _

 

Terrance was confused for a few moments before finally getting his bearings and sitting down at the table with him.  _ Hmm, fish, I haven’t had fish in a long time…  _ He smiled softly, picking up his fork and eating quietly.  _ I wonder if we should watch a movie tonight…. maybe I should make some bread for tomorrow?  _

 

Drac was happy to quietly eat with him, thinking.  _ Maybe a nice cuddle after dinner would be good… and we haven’t gotten… ‘acquainted’ for a few days…. maybe he’ll be up for that…?  _ Drac sipped at his glass of water, looking him over.  _ ….he looks so cute in that shawl…..  _

 

Terrance managed to finish off his entire plate, sighing in relief as he set his plate in the sink.  _ I was able to eat it, thank god….  _ “Did you get ice cream?”  _ Ice cream and whatever is on TV will be alright for right now.  _

 

“I did….” Drac soon stood to set his own plate in the sink, hugging Terrance from behind as he scooped ice cream, noticing him jumping a bit as he touched his stomach. “I’m sorry, it’s just me, don’t worry, I won’t tickle you… ...do you want to cuddle and watch TV? Maybe put on a movie?”  _ I want you to be comfy…  _

 

“Can we watch Kung Fu Panda?”  _ I wanna watch it…  _ He smiled as Drac nodded. “Do you want a bowl of ice cream too?”  _ I don’t know, sometimes you want it and sometimes you don’t... _

 

“Hm, no thank you… maybe you’ll be nice enough to let me steal a little…?” Drac chuckled as Terrance rolled his eyes.  _ Yay!  _

 

 _I’ll put more in the bowl then._ “Can you get my blankets out?” He turned to keep making the ice cream bowl. _I want to make a nest in your lap, like I usually do._

 

“Of course.” Drac let his hands slide down his sides before he slipped away, going to the living room and starting to arrange the blankets and pillows appropriately.  _ His favorite nesting stuff goes here…. these pillows are for leaning back on…..  _

 

Terrance came in with his bowl of ice cream and a spoon, carefully slipping into his usual spot that Drac prepared but soon finding it uncomfortable. “Can…. can you get me another pillow?”  _ My lower back is hurting a little bit…  _

 

“Okay, where?” Drac eased a pillow under Terrance’s lower back where he asked, his arms around him.  _ Mine.  _ He soon whined softly as the movie played, his mouth open, waiting for ice cream.  _ Can I has? _

 

Terrance blushed, getting a rather large spoonful and carefully putting it in his mouth.  _ He’s….. he’s holding me…  _ Terrance finished the bowl of ice cream with Drac’s help half way through the movie, settling in against Drac’s side as he snuggled under his nesting blankets.  _ I might fall asleep down here again, I’ve been doing that a lot lately... _

 

Drac set the empty bowl out of the way, holding Terrance securely to his side.  _ ….he’s really cute…  _ Drac eventually turned onto his side, gently tugging his shawl and shirt aside, quietly dipping down to kiss his neck. “I won’t bite, don’t worry…”  _ But I wanna kiss….. I love you….. you _

 

Terrance stiffened for a moment before he relaxed and let Drac pull him to the side a bit to get a better angle.  _ Hmm, his mouth feels nice on my neck…  _ A soft purr barely  audible escaped his throat, his eyes closing as he relaxed fully.  _ He’s being really nice... _

 

Drac soon straddled one of Terrance’s legs, kissing and mouthing at his neck, his hands very gentle as they roamed his front, feeling him jump as they moved over his abdomen. “...are you okay? You’re very jumpy today….”  _ I’m not gonna tickle you, I promise.  _

 

Terrance opened his eyes, confused as Drac stopped. “I don’t…. it just feels sensitive… I don’t know, I just really noticed today… I’m sorry, I’ll try not to jump anymore…”  _ His hands on my abdomen…. they feel nice, and gentle, I like it, but my stomach is still sensitive and so just touching it gently is making me jump.  _

 

“It’s okay, I’ll be gentle…..” Drac went right back to gently kissing his neck, his hands going to the hem of his loose shirt, very carefully bringing it up and soon lifting it over his head, tossing it aside. His hands both went to hold his sides, going to gently kiss at his abdomen, feeling him tense and jump with every little kiss.  _ You’re so sensitive… your stomach is almost as sensitive as Lathe’s… ………...huh.  _

 

Terrance took a long time to calm down to a point where he wouldn’t jump when Drac touched him the slightest bit. “I-I might be ovulating…. before my heat?”  _ Maybe that’s it? Maybe my body’s really trying?  _  He was hopeful, feeling relaxed and in bliss as Drac paused the movie and turned his attention to him.  _ His eyes…. they’re almost like he’s eating me alive... _

 

Drac looked up at him, reaching for the band of his pants and slowly pulling them down, his gaze scorching as he was finally nude. “....fuck, you’re gorgeous…” Damien reached to spread his legs, nipping at the glands on the insides of his thighs.  _ Mine.  _

 

Terrance let out a soft sigh as he felt Drac’s hands all over his legs, humming as he was handled gently.  _ His hands feel so nice….  _ His scent started to sweeten as he grew aroused, purring and reaching to run his fingers through Drac’s long hair.  _ He called me gorgeous…. _

 

Drac went to lap at his hole, surprised.  _ There’s nowhere near as much slick as there normally is…. huh.  _ He moved to mouth at his length, one hand going for his entrance, his thumb circling the hole before dipping inside.  _ Mine.  _

 

Terrance gasped, jumping a bit as he felt Drac’s thumb enter him.  _ His…. his thumb… I can feel it, it’s…. am I not slicking?  _ “B-Be careful…” His voice was quiet, his fingers tangled in Drac’s hair.  _ It…. it almost kinda hurts because it’s not slick... _

 

Drac stopped, pulling out his thumb, resting his cheek on his thigh as he looked up to him. “Want me to go get the lube, love?”

 

_ We haven’t had to use lube in such a long time.  _ “Please?” Terrance shifted up a bit, pulling his legs closer to his abdomen, as if to protect his stomach as Drac got up.  _ This…. am I getting sick? I’m usually slicking for him... _

 

Drac nodded, getting up and going upstairs quickly to fetch the lube, soon returning to his spot between Terrance’s legs.  _ Mine.  _ “It’s okay….” He gently unfurled Terrance, dripping lube onto one hand, his slick thumb going back to his hole.  _ It’s okay.  _ “Let me know if it feels strange… we can stop if you don’t like it, honey.”  _ It’s okay.  _

 

Terrance nodded, feeling Drac’s thumb enter him with the lube.  _ It’s…. it’s not slick… it… it feels weird…  _ He whimpered when he couldn’t stand to odd feeling anymore. “D-Drac…. s-stop…”  _ I… I don’t like it, it feels different... _

 

Drac immediately drew out of him, nodding and gently kissing his thigh. “I’m sorry…. it’s okay….” Drac moved to slowly dress him again, kissing wherever he could reach.  _ It’s okay….  _

 

Terrance whimpered as Drac dressed him again. “I’m… I’m sorry, I don’t know what’s wrong with me… I should be making a lot of slick around this time…”  _ I have to be getting sick… that’s… that’s got to be the only explanation... _

 

“It’s okay, it’s okay…. do you think we should take you to see a doctor?” Drac moved to settle next to him, kissing his cheek.  _ It’s okay, love.  _

 

“Can… can we just ask Lathe to look me over? I don’t…. I don’t wanna go to the hospital, I wanna stay home…”  _ I don’t wanna leave my nest…  _

 

“Okay, we can see if he can come over here if you want, okay?” He watched Terrance nod, getting up and letting him curl up as he went to the phone.  _ I don’t have my cell on me… _

 

Ten minutes later there was a quiet knock at the door, Lathe smiling softly as Drac opened it. “Hey Drac… just lead me to him.” Lathe leaned on his arm as he was led inside the house, waddling with his huge baby bump.  _ They’re getting big…..  _

 

Terrance whimpered as he saw Lathe and Drac. “H-Hi Lathe…” His voice was quiet as he shifted in his blankets, looking to Lathe’s large abdomen.  _ He’s gonna have to switch soon…  _

 

“Hi honey…. let’s see what we can do, okay?” Lathe knelt next to him, looking him over and reaching into his bag for a thermometer, getting Terrance to hold it under his tongue. “So, when’s your next heat due, honey?” 

 

“Any day now… I should be making slick…. and-and I can’t…” Terrance let him touch all over him, and feel around his body, curling up as his stomach was touched.  _ Still sensitive.  _

 

Lathe noticed him curl up around his stomach, thinking. “....you should be going into heat, but you’re not… your stomach is sensitive, honey?” He watched him nod, taking the thermometer back, thinking. “Your body temp is pretty normal, if anything it’s a tiny bit under… ...and you’ve been trying for kids for two years, yes?” 

 

“....yeah…”

 

“....honey, vampire pups take a very long time to grow…. ...here, honey.” Lathe fished in his bag, finding a pregnancy test. “Go to the bathroom and take this, okay?”  _ Please? _

 

“All the others have been negative…” Terrance took it anyways, going to the bathroom and coming out with the test.  _ I want it to be positive…  _

 

Lathe and Drac both reached to gently pull him into the nest, Lathe’s voice soft. “....here’s the thing, you might not have been taking the right one… vampire pups are strange, they do their best to mask their presence in the body during the early months until they really start to get big… there are different hormone fluctuations with a vampire litter than a normal litter…. the tests I have check for different kinds of pregnancies…. expensive, but it’ll tell you.” He pointed to the display, marked with three different kinds of litters.  _ It’ll mark yes or no if you match any of these….  _

 

Terrance looked at the test with confusion before finally getting everything to click. “S-So I…. I might be pregnant right now?”  _ Really? That’s how it’s gonna work?  _

 

“You just might be, honey…. how’ve your cravings been? I know we omegas love sugar. Acquire a taste for anything in particular lately?” 

 

“Blackberry chocolate bars…. and, and tea…. and maybe raspberries?”  _ I’ve had a lot of chocolate bars…. I think Drac gets me one every day… _ He curled up into Drac’s lap, looking to Lathe’s large bump and wanting to touch it.  _ I wanna pet them... _

 

Lathe smiled and nodded. “Lots of fruit, chocolate is okay, I know they normally only put the flavors in dark chocolate which is better… it’s okay to touch honey, don’t be a stranger.” Lathe smiled as Terrance reached to gently pet his bump. “But that all makes it seem like you’re pregnant… give the test a bit longer honey, we’ll know.” 

 

Terrance nodded and distracted himself with Lathe’s large belly, cooing to the pups inside and yelping in surprise as they moved ever so slightly.  _ It moved… it moved! Lathe’s pups are moving, will mine move too? But…. but I’m not pregnant yet…  _

 

Lathe chuckled as Terrance yelped, jumping a bit as one of them kicked at the hand. “Oh my, you’ve woken them up….”

 

“...Terrance…..”

 

“They’re  **moving….”**

 

“You’re pregnant.” Drac stared at the test, the two of them shocked into silence and looking to the test.  _ ….you’re pregnant.  _ Drac immediately held Terrance close, kissing all over his face and head.  _ Oh my god,  _ **_pups…._ **

 

Terrance was in shock at first.  _ I’m…. I’m pregnant? Really???  _ His ears and tail popped into existence, his tail wagging furiously. “Wh-What do we do now?”  _ How are we supposed to do this? What am I supposed to do?  _ Terrance looked at Lathe with slight scared eyes, looking down to his abdomen where Drac’s hands rested. 

 

Lathe smiled, chuckling. “Well, the first thing to do is not panic. You’ll learn how to Mom, don’t worry. It comes naturally to fill in the blanks. But your diet is gonna change a bit. With vampire pups, you’re gonna need a lot of blood. Be careful when you drink from Drac, but it means a lot of red meat, cooked medium rare or less, we’ll get you some vitamin supplements, lots of protein… we’ll need to get you iodine and vitamin D supplements too… but sugar is still gonna be a big thing. You should be putting on weight. But another thing is that you can’t have a drop of alcohol during this pregnancy. And even if Drac has some, you can’t drink from him until it’s all out of his system. That’s the most important part. But if you’re craving something that isn’t dangerous, eat it. Your body will help autopilot you for this. Oh, and start building a bigger, more full nest. You’ll be thankful for it later.”  _ Definitely.  _

 

_ …. I get to make a bigger nest? And eat more steaks? Okay. _ He nodded, curling up to Drac’s chest.  _ I’ll be careful… I’ll make sure I don’t drink when Drac does... _

 

Drac smiled widely, cradling his mate to his chest. “Finally…. pups….” He looked up to Lathe. “How long will he be pregnant?”

 

“Well, it hasn’t been that long yet, most likely… about a year and three to four months.” 

 

Terrance looked surprised. “That… that long? But… but aren’t our pregnancies supposed to be 6 months??”  _ Why is it so long??  _

 

“They are… But pups with an omegan mother and a vampire father or vice versa need a lot longer to grow. Vampires need a very long time to develop given their much more intricate internal systems. Normal alphas and omegas have much simpler systems in comparison, but think about it. Vampires are built to last so much longer than we could dream of, and they have regenerative abilities that far exceed any other species. They need a lot of time to get everything up and running.” 

 

Terrance looked down to his abdomen, gently rubbing it softly, looking up to Lathe. “Will… will I make slick again soon?”  _ I want to be able to have sex without having to use the fake stuff… I don’t like it… it still feels weird.  _ He squirmed in Drac’s arms, looking up to face, letting his hands touch his abdomen and trying not to flinch. 

 

“Well, it could take a little while each time to get enough into it that you slick enough, but you should be able to.”  _ Don’t worry.  _ Lathe’s protectively rested his hands on his own bump, chuckling nervously as the pups moved around. “It always feels so strange when they move…” 

 

“Does… does it hurt?”  _ I don’t want my pups to hurt…  _

 

“No, it doesn’t hurt…. but it’s simultaneously the best and scariest feeling… on one hand, I’m carrying handfuls of perfect little lives inside me… but at the same time, they can move, and it’s my job to keep them safe…. it’s scary to think about sometimes. I just…. I want them to be safe.”  _ I want them to be okay.  _

 

Terrance nodded and gently rubbed his belly, purring as Drac crooned to him.  _ This… this is nice.  _ “D-Do you need help getting back home?”  _ You seem to be waddling now, and you should probably shift to your wolf form… I don’t think I’ve ever seen Lathe in his wolf form... _

 

“....I think I’ll be okay… I really should shift though…..” Lathe squirmed as the pups kept moving. “....I don’t want them to be cramped…. ….I’ll shift, so please, open the door for me on the way home, okay?” He watched them nod, slowly shifting to his large wolf form, more comfortably lying down on his side, happy as the pups settled down.  _ They’re more comfy now…. good….  _

 

Terrance reached out to pet Lathe’s huge form, surprised at his sheer size.  _ He’s huge…  _ “D-Do you wanna go home n-now?” 

 

_ If you’re okay, I should get going… ...I wanna keep getting my nest ready…  _ Lathe got up, going to lick Terrance’s and Drac’s face. 

 

Terrance giggled, getting up to help Lathe off the couch and grab his bag, surprised with how heavy it was.  _ It’s heavy…. I can handle it…  _ He carefully put it on his shoulder and walked with him towards the door.  _ He’ll be okay with Damien…  _

 

Lathe’s tail happily wagged, meandering to the door with Terrance, nosing him affectionately as they walked, sitting as they waited for Damien to come to the door. 

 

“Do you know how many?”  _ How many pups do you have? I need to make more blankets…  _ Terrance twiddled his thumbs as they waited, jumping a bit as Damien opened the door and keeping his head down submissively. 

 

_ I dunno…. I’m hoping more than five… I think it’s more but I don’t know…. I don’t know if we should go have a doctor scan me and tell us or if we should just wait until then…  _ Lathe perked up as Damien opened the door, getting up and jumping up on his hind legs to lick Damien’s face.  _ Hi honey! The pups were feeling squished so I had to shift…  _

 

Terrance watched him jump up to lick Damien’s face, keeping his head down as he held the bag with shaking arms.  _ It’s heavy.  _

 

Damien sputtered at first, not expecting to be licked. “It’s okay, we’ll make sure you’re much more comfortable and get your nest all set up for you…. Hi Terrance…”  _ He’s still keeping his head down around me… what did I do? It’s almost like he’s afraid of me... _

 

Lathe looked back to Terrance, immediately beginning to whine, going to lick him instead.  _ Nonono, it’s okay, Damien is friend, Damien is part of the pack, it’s okay….  _ Lathe tried to hold him, both paws on his shoulders.  _ It’s okay….  _

 

Terrance stumbled back a bit from the sudden weight of Lathe on him, dropping the bag he had been holding as grabbing onto Lathe’s legs to steady himself.  _ I’m…. I’m okay…  _ “I-I’m sorry… I-I’m gonna go home…” His body was shaking slightly and keeping his eyes away from Damien’s.

 

Lathe whined softly, nuzzling Terrance affectionately.  _ Don’t be scared of my mate… mate loves me… mate likes you… it’s okay….  _

 

Terrance shook his head, looking down and apologizing before turning and running across the street, disappearing into the house. 

  
  



	14. Best of Friends

_ They’re getting harder to carry in the basket… I only have four right now… Casper has eight… I hope they all get along, I’ve been needing to sleep…  _ Eren knocked at the door two houses down.  _ I need sleep... _

 

Casper got up from the nest and hurried to the front door, opening it up and smiling to Eren. “Hi, Eren! Come in, and let me carry one, they look heavy….” Casper took a basket and smiled at the confused and excited pups inside, bringing them into the house and setting them in the nest in the living room. “The walls are up high enough that they really won’t wander off, and even if they do I’m gonna put the barrier up, they’ll be safe. I have toys, food, movies ready… they’ll be fine. You’ll have peace all day.” 

 

Eren sighed in relief. “Thank you Casper…I really appreciate you doing this. If they get aggressive or nippy just put them back in the basket for a few minutes and they’ll calm down.”  _ They haven’t figured out how to get out of them yet... _

 

Casper laughed, nodding. “I’ll do that if I have to. I think they’ll get along okay, though. Let’s see how they do….” Casper reached to take out the first pup from the basket and actually set them free in the nest, watching them look around shyly before nosing the closest pup.  _ They’ll do okay.  _

 

Eren sighed in relief, slowly kneeling to release the other pups. “Thank you so much… um, I put bottles and some soft food for them in this bag.” He took off the backpack he had on full of their food and other things they might need.  _ I put soap in there in case they get covered in something…  _

 

“Don’t worry, honey, I’ll get them fed and watered and air conditioned. Probably exercised and napped as well.”  _ They’ll be busy growing into big strong puppers.  _

 

Eren sighed in relief, thanking him again as he got out of the nest and the barrier. “I’m gonna go nap, Levi’s at work, but he’ll be home soon… he’s due to be home in a few hours, I’m gonna try and sleep until you wanna give them back.”  _ I’m exhausted.  _

 

“I could keep them as long as you need, maybe you can come back after dinner? I can make them food if you don’t have enough for lunch  **and** dinner.”  _ I can handle them.  _

 

“There’s enough food to last them a week, but they’re little monsters when it comes to food, so try not to give into the puppy eyes…” Eren hugged him before he was shown to the door.  _ Nap time.  _

 

Tucker sniffed around the entire nest, looking at the slightly smaller pups.  _ They’re smaller than me… and I’m the smallest! _

 

Henry was curled up in part of the nest, looking over the big pups.  _ They’re big… they’ll squish me….  _

 

Tucker carefully came up to one of the pups from behind, sniffing them, his tail wagging.  _ Smells good… I like them... _

 

Henry yelped, tumbling from his little pocket in the nest, scurrying to his feet, confused.  _ He’s big….  _ Henry was completely still as the larger pup came closer, his ears flicking a little bit as he smelled him, curiously sniffing him.  _...he smells kinda nice... _

 

Tucker sniffed at him more and more curiously.  _ I like the smell of him, can I keep him?  _

 

_ Keep? I dunno….  _ Henry tried to nose Tucker, nudging him over to stand over him so they could both easily sniff each other at the same time.  _...you smell really nice…. so, maybe…. _

 

Tucker’s tail wagged wildly back and forth as he sniffed at him more, becoming more and more excited.  _ Want… can I has? I want keep!  _

 

Henry happily sniffed him, yelping as Tucker got up and knocked him over into the blankets, squirming as he was licked and nosed.  _ Tickles!! _

 

Tucker’s tail wagged happily as he pinned Henry down in the blankets, his hips starting to move almost on reflex.  _ Mine, I want, I want to has… I keep…  _

 

Henry let Tucker pin him, feeling excitement bubble up.  _ Mine?  _

 

Casper looked up at all the commotion, sighing and going to break them up. “Come on honey, don’t do that, you can sniff lots, but not that, okay?” 

 

Tucker whined as he was picked up, trying to squirm out of Casper’s hands and get back to Henry.  _ But mine! Mine! I want! I want!  _

 

Casper was surprised, looking between them, even more surprised when Henry looked up at him and whined, his best puppy eyes on display.  _ ….wow.  _ Casper set Tucker back down, watching as Henry ran right over to collide with him, both of them tumbling over the other.  _ ….oh my god.  _

 

Tucker nipped at Henry playfully as he made them tumble, soon finding himself over Henry once again.  _ Want, mine to keep!  _ He struggled to croon and failed horribly at his first attempt which sounded like a squeak.  _ Mine! _

 

Henry made a strange fluttery sound that was almost a purr, excited when Tucker began to hump him again, whining when Tucker peed all over him.  _ I smell like him…  _

 

Casper sighed, immediately gathering up the blanket they were on at the corners and lifting them both up.  _ This all needs a washing.  _ He soon set everything in the empty metal sink, taking away the blanket and moving Henry to the other half of the sink, letting them sniff each other over the divider.  _ I don’t know if Henry knows what’s coming… bathtime.  _

 

Tucker looked confused as he was set in the sink, sniffing at it, and looking down at the drain, confused when Casper put a plug in it. He pawed at it, losing interest until he heard Henry.  _ Baff? But mine!  _ He put his front paws on the divider, trying to get over it and into the same side as Henry.  _ Mine! _

 

Casper sighed, surprised and reaching to catch him when Tucker actually made it over and fell into the sink next to Henry.  _ Oh lord….  _ Casper turned on the water, making sure it was warm before turning on the spray, going to douse the both of them.  _ You need to get clean.  _

 

_ Warm!  _ Henry was a happy camper as Casper let warm water run over him, enjoying Tucker’s nuzzles.  _ Mine! _

 

Tucker was too distracted with Henry to really realize he was being doused until it happened and he froze.  _ Baff? This no baff… what happen?  _ His ears started to go down as he freaked out.  _ No like! I want Mamma!  _

 

Casper immediately stopped, tilting his head. “How do you normally have baths, honey?” 

 

Henry whined, pouncing on Tucker- or at least trying to- and licking his face.  _ Is okay! This how Mama give baff! _

 

Tucker cocked his head to the side as he sat down.  _ Baff? No lick? But baff need lick! _

 

Henry was confused, deciding to start licking Tucker more fervently.  _ I lick! _

 

Casper sighed, smiling and turning the water back on, letting Henry lick as he gently began washing Tucker.  _ Good pup….  _

 

Tucker was still confused but slowly grew used to the water, not sure what to do when he was lathered with soap, his fur every which way as Casper practically massaged the soap into it.  _ Feels weird... _

 

Casper smiled softly, soon rinsing the soap out, going to do the same with Henry.  _ Good, good.  _ “Okay, now you two stay put for right now, let me get a towel.” Casper ran off and soon came back with a towel, lifting Henry out first to dry him off, setting him down and letting him shake out.  _ Good, good!  _ He went for Tucker next, drying him off.  _ You can have him back in a minute, honey.  _

 

Tucker was confused as he was dried, feeling his fur stand on end, and his whole coat feeling much heavier than it should.  _ I don’t like… don’t like…  _

 

Casper set him down, smiling. “It’s okay, shake it all out… can you shake?” He watched Tucker look at him with confusion, looking to Henry. “Honey, can you shake?” He watched Henry shake out his coat again. “Try that, Tucker, okay?” 

 

Tucker looked at Henry, sitting down and shaking his head vigorously, as Henry had done but staying seated.  _ But still heavy!  _

 

Henry trotted over and nodded him to stand up.  _ With everything! Lookit!  _ Henry shook again, from his head to his tail.  _ Gets rid of heavy! _

 

Tucker was quiet for a moment before he stood and shook out, looking puffed out and even larger than he was.  _ No heavy, feel weird…  _

 

Henry was happy, nosing and licking him.  _ You’re cute…. I like it…  _ Henry looked up to Casper, giving him puppy eyes.  _ I wanna treat…. ...they’re right there… I can’t reach them, though…  _

 

Casper sighed, smiling and going to get the box of ‘treats’ off of the counter.  _ You like these… they have honey and good stuff in them.  _ Casper knelt on the ground, feeding Henry one, offering one to Tucker.  _ It’s a nice little thing, you’ll like it.  _

 

Tucker sniffed at it, curious and licking it, watching it move and tasting it. After the first taste Tucker started to lick at it even more, his tail starting to wag.  _ Taste good… can… can I have food?  _

 

“You want your bottle? Lunch is in maybe twenty minutes, can you play until then?”  _ Eren  _ **_did_ ** _ say you could put away a lot of food, but already? _

 

Tucker whined, pulling out his best puppy eyes.  _ Food?  _ He moved to the edge of the counter they were on, reaching a paw out to him.  _ Food?  _

 

Casper sighed, kissing Tucker’s head. “Come on, honey, I know you can wait… will another piece be okay, hold you over until lunchtime?” He rolled his eyes as Tucker’s tail wagged furiously, giving him another square from the box. 

Tucker happily yipped, eating his small square quicker than the first one.  _ Play? Can we plays?  _ He crouched down as if he were stalking his prey, pouncing on Henry. 

 

Henry squealed, rolling over, yelping as they approached the edge of the counter, glad for Casper scooping them up quickly and carrying them back to the nest.  _ Wanna play!! _

 

Tucker’s tail was wagging, nipping at Henry as soon as they were set down and pawing at him.  _ Mine!  _

 

Henry yapped at him, turning and pouncing on the larger pup, nipping his ear.  _ Mine! _

 

Tucker let them roll around, nipping at Henry everywhere but finally pinning Henry down with his mouth around the back of his neck.  _ I win!  _

 

Henry went limp under him, fluttery purrs leaving him.  _ Mine…  _ Henry felt something strange, his scent a tiny bit sweeter.  _ Mine.  _

 

Tucker’s ears perked as he smelled Henry sweetening, trying to croon back to him.  _ I like!  _ He began to lick at Henry all over, his tail wagging as he easily moved the smaller pup around. 

 

Henry rolled over, happy as the scent made Tucker happy.  _ He likes! Yay!  _ Henry’s tail slowly wagged, licking what part of Tucker he could reach.  _ Mine.  _

 

Tucker squeaked as he was licked near his neck, trying to croon as he enjoyed the action.  _ He’s licking me!  _ Tucker shifted to lick at his neck, really licking at where his glands would be and purring as he felt the slight amount of oils on his tongue.  _ Want! Mine!  _

 

Henry tried to copy him and let out comforting croons, only managing small whines, nuzzling closer.  _ Mine! Taste nice…  _

 

Tucker continued to try and croon, managing a good croon before he was reduced to squeaks. He stopped as one of his brothers came close to Henry, getting over him and growling at his brother.  _ Mine! I has!  _

 

Henry let Tucker crawl over him, a good purr rumbling from him before it went back to being fluttery and all over the place.  _ Mine.  _

 

The pup was confused, wanting to sniff Henry and say hi.  _ Can I sniff?  _

 

Tucker growled at him, protective and pawing at the other pup to push him away.  _ Mine! No sniff! Mine! Only me sniff. _

 

Henry whined, looking up at Tucker.  _ Just wanna say hi…. wanna sniff…  _ Henry gave him puppy eyes, yapping happily when Tucker let go of him, going to sniff the other pup.  _ Hi! _

 

_ Hi! Sorry, Tucker can have you back.  _ The pup sniffed and nudged him back, letting him scamper right back to Tucker, trotting off to another pup.  _ Wanna say hi.  _

 

Tucker whined as his brother sniffed at Henry, his tail going limp and his ears drooping.  _ But mine…. _

 

Henry came right back to him, whining as he saw how sad he was, nosing him affectionately, jumping up on him.  _ Mine! Still mine, still yours… just wanted to say hi…. _

 

Tucker whined, but nodded, licking at Henry and slowly getting more and more comfortable with him.  _ Mine!  _

 

Henry was happy as Tucker licked him, licking him as well, starting to relax more and more, soon lying down with him to lap at his neck.  _ Mine…  _

 

Tucker’s tail wagged as they laid in a heap of licks and purrs, happy for the moment. He looked up as he heard Casper opening up the backpack Eren had given him.  _ Foood!!!  _ He happily scampered off to the fence that was up and jumping up against it. 

 

Henry got up, his ears perked, running after Tucker.  _ Lunch? Food!  _ A wave of pups followed them, all yapping at Casper for food. 

 

Casper smiled at the pile of them at the gate, chuckling. “I’ll get you all food, don’t worry…. here we go….” Casper lifted out Tucker first, setting him on the floor and opening a container of food for him, soon setting a little bowl in front of him.  _ You should be okay with that….  _ Casper sighed as he heard two sets of whines, picking up Henry and going to give him his formula first, the pup in his lap.  _ Food.  _

 

Tucker wagged his tail, starting to eat from the bowl. _ Food!!  _

 

Henry curled up in Casper’s lap, happily eating from the bottle he was given, going through one and a half bottles of formula.  _ Tasty…  _ Henry hopped right out of his lap when he was done, going to nudge Tucker.  _ Done? Wanna lick... _

 

Tucker was still very occupied with his food, whining when the bowl was empty.  _ More food…. _

 

Casper sighed as Tucker was already done, going to add more to his bowl.  _ If you need more, have more. Pups need food.  _

 

Tucker happily dug into his bowl, managing to get it all over his face.  _ Food!  _

 

Casper fed one of the pups with one hand, another reaching for a towel and wiping off Tucker’s face. “Try to get it in your mouth, honey.” 

 

Tucker licked at his face, and the bowl he was eating from, giving Casper puppy eyes for more food.

 

Casper sighed heavily, thinking.  _ ….does he need more food?  _ Casper looked at the markings on the jar.  _ ….he gets half at most…. he’s already had a bit more than half….  _ “I’m sorry, honey, you already had all your food….”  _ I’m sorry….  _

 

Tucker whined, pawing at Casper’s lap.  _ More food, want food, I hungry... _

 

“How can you still be hungry? You had a lot of food, honey….” Casper sighed deeply, gently petting the pup.  _ Be strong.  _ “No more food for right now, honey. You can have a snack at snacktime between now and dinner, but lunch is over now, okay?”  _ Sorry, baby…. _

 

Tucker whined, starting to cry which made the rest of his siblings start to cry from inside the cage.  _ Want food!  _

 

Casper was stunned, holding Tucker to his chest. “Honey, you need to settle down, you can’t have more food… I’m sorry…” Casper stood up, fetching one of the baskets and setting Henry inside, petting his head. “You can come out when you stop crying, okay? I’m sorry, but we can’t let you get too big, okay?”  _ Overfeeding won’t do you any good…  _ Casper cooed to the other pups to calm them down, trying to continue feeding the others.  _ It’s okay... _

 

Tucker whined, pawing at the inside of the basket, whimpering horribly.  _ I want food, want out... _

 

Henry trotted to the basket, jumping onto his hind legs, barely able to boop noses with Tucker.  _ It’s okay…. we can has snacktime later…. is okay…. _

 

Tucker whined, trying to get out of the sturdy basket before he whined even more.  _ Want food, want out….  _ He licked at Henry’s nose, wanting him to be in the basket with him. 

 

Henry whimpered, looking back to Casper.  _ Wanna be with fren….  _ His tail wagged happily as he was set in the basket, licking Tucker furiously.  _ It’s okay…. Mama does what Mama needs to…. Mama loves you…. _

 

Tucker let his tail wag as Henry was put in the basket as well.  _ Fren! Mine! I has! I keep!  _

  
Casper smiled, letting the two pups hold onto each other.  _ They’re so cute… they’re gonna be adorable when they grow up… _


	15. Sex and Pregnancy Don't Always Go Together

Drac slowly blinked awake, looking over to Terrance, smiling.  _ He’s so big…  _ Drac silently got up, letting his mate sleep and heading downstairs.  _ I’ll make breakfast… he needs a lot of food… and he can use all the sleep he can get. _

 

Terrance woke up to the smell of French toast and bacon.  _ Hmmm…. food…  _ His abdomen was quiet round, almost like he were a woman carrying triplets and about to pop.  _ I’m surprised the pups aren’t up yet… they’ll wanna move around soon and kick me everywhere…  _ He groaned as he carefully got off the bed and onto sturdy footing, reaching to get clothes.  _ I need bigger hoodies… they don’t cover my bump anymore… _ Terrance almost immediately sniffled, tears welling in his eyes.  _ I’m getting fat…  _

 

Drac filled up a plate with plenty of food, carrying it upstairs, surprised to see Terrance crying. “What’s wrong? Does anything hurt?” Drac set the plate down immediately, going to hold him, kissing his cheek.  _ It’s okay... _

 

“I’m getting fat… I don’t like it… I don’t like it at all, I don’t wanna be fat…”  _ I want pups but I don’t wanna be fat.  _

 

“You’re not fat, honey…. you’re full of little pups…. it’s beautiful. You’re beautiful like this. It’s okay.” Drac kissed all over his face, smiling. “Don’t worry about how you look, Terrance… you’re doing wonderfully….” 

 

Terrance still continued to cry as he pulled on his hoodie. “N-Nothing fits… I’m getting too fat, I don’t wanna be fat anymore…”  _ I’m really really fat…  _

 

“Honey, I’m sorry, once you have all the pups you’ll be back to your normal size… here, we got you some comfy clothes… and Lathe sent you some nice stuff, do you maybe wanna try some of it on?”  _ He cut off all the size tags when I mentioned how aware of your size you were…  _ “There are sweaters and sweatpants and some nice slippers….”  _ He was really nice to get you this stuff….  _

 

“Are… are there any hoodies?”  _ I want a hoodie I can curl up in.  _ He sniffled and rubbed at his face, still crying as he was held.  _ I don’t wanna be fat anymore…  _

 

“Mhm, of course….” Drac picked up a soft hoodie, looking back to Terrance, pausing to let his eyes skim his frame.  _ …….oh. Oh wow, how have I not noticed?  _ Drac took a step closer, his hands going to his sides and running up to his chest, gently touching his chest, smiling softly and chuckling. “You have boobs now…” Drac kissed Terrance’s nose. “....you’re pregnant….”  _ Wow.  _ Drac held him close, swaying with him in his arms.  _ I love you.  _

 

Terrance’s eyes widened as Drac grabbed his chest, squirming in his hold.  _ That feels weird…. _ He whined, trying to back up and away from his grasp. “I’m sensitive… please d-don’t…” _ It feels really weird with you grabbing it... _

 

“Sorry, I’m sorry…” Drac looked sheepish, handing him the soft hoodie. “Here, it’s nice and comfy… do you want the slippers too?”  _ We can keep you nice and warm and cozy….  _

 

Terrance shook his head, slipping the hoodie on. “Like bare feet… you can rub them…”  _ My chest hurts…  _ He yelped as the pups started to move inside, sighing and rubbing his abdomen.  _ They’re moving... _

 

Drac smiled softly, a hand going to cover the hand on his abdomen. “Sorry they scared you… ….are you sure you don’t want to shift yet?”  _ You’re getting big…. I just don’t want the pups to be squished…. _

 

Terrance looked at him worriedly. “But… it’s only been eight months….”  _ I thought Lathe said a year…. why are they so big?  _

 

“I know it hasn’t been too long… but you’re already getting really big… ...I’m not sure why. If you’re worried, we can call Lathe…”  _ I don’t want you to worry yourself sick about it…  _

 

“I just… I don’t know if switching will help…”  _ I’m still really small in my wolf form…  _ Terrance waddled to the bed and moved to curl up on it.  _ I wanna go back to sleep… I wonder if he’ll rub my back too…? _

 

Drac smiled softly, his voice gentle. “It might give them a little extra space….. whenever you think it’s time, when it gets uncomfortable, go ahead… ...do you want more back rubs?” Drac smiled at Terrance’s interested look, going to get the massage oil. “You won’t need that sweatshirt, then….. ….and you’re probably going to want your feet rubbed too, hm?”  _ You like that… whatever makes you happy.  _

 

Terrance slowly shifted back up to strip down once more.  _ I want him to do my whole body…  _ He purred as he carefully laid on his side so that he wouldn’t squish the pups.  _ I don’t wanna hurt them…  _

 

Drac moved behind him, working with the angle and rubbing the oil into his skin, beginning to slowly massage him. His hands started at his shoulders, carefully working out the tension before moving down to his lower back and his hips, digging into his thighs and calves, hearing Terrance whimper and moan. “Doing okay?”  _ Is it helping? _

 

Terrance nodded, lifting up his left leg so that Drac could massage under and between his two legs. He sighed in bliss, purring as Drac finally got the message and massaged the soft skin between his legs.  _ Oh fuck yes. _ Terrance let out a low whine as Alucard touched his unmarked glands, feeling them secrete more oils under his fingers and a quick rush of slick leave him.  _ It feels really good…  _

 

Drac smirked, looking him over. “That feels good?” He watched him nod quickly, slowly massaging the gland in circles with his thumb. “....love….”  _ Do you want to bond….?  _

 

Terrance looked up to him with shaded eyes, his body glistening in the soft morning light.  _ His hands feel really really nice.  _ He purred as more oils started to secrete, the swollen glands easy to spot and to squeeze.  _ The oils have built up… I want them gone…  _

 

Drac leaned down to gently lap at the glands, licking away the oils.  _ You taste wonderful…  _ His hands continued to massage the soft flesh, soon tilting his head to lap at the other.  _ Delicious….  _

 

Terrance groaned, letting his thigh settle on Drac’s shoulders as he licked the other one, breathing hard as his face flushed.  _ I’m…. I’m making slick, but…. but I’m too fat for him to want me… there’s no way he’ll want to... _

 

Drac soon dipped down to lap at his entrance, cleaning up the slick leaking from him. “.....fuck…. you taste heavenly….” Drac rested his cheek on his thigh, looking up and over him with dark, appreciative eyes. “.....fuck, I love you….” 

 

Terrance couldn’t help but make even more slick as Drac looked over him with dark eyes.  _ Fuck I love his eyes…  _ “Hmm… r-really?”  _ I-I like that, I like the sound of that…  _

 

“Really…. I love you so much…” He gently rubbed his gland in slow circles, his eyes soft. “You’re perfect…. full of our pups…. I love seeing you like this….” 

 

_ You’re such a fucking sap… _

 

_ Don’t tell me you wouldn’t be saying the same things.  _

 

_ ….you make it sound gayer than I would. ….but carry on.  _

 

Drac looked him over, a bit quiet. “...do you…. do you want to bond?”  _ I want to…  _

 

_ Yeah, that’d be pretty nice, actually….  _

 

_ You’d just want to send him lewd mental images all the time, wouldn’t you.  _

 

_ Maybe.  _

 

Terrance seemed to freeze up at that, looking at Drac’s neck. “Are you…. are you sure?”  _ We’d need to have sex for that, and I don’t think that Drac would wanna go anywhere near my hole… I’m surprised he licked me.  _ He squirmed as he rubbed slow circles in the swollen glands, feeling everything in overdrive. 

 

“I am…. I don’t want to if you’re not sure… but I think we might be ready for it… we’re gonna have pups soon, and we’ve been together a long while… even if we’re not ready yet, we’re close to it….” Drac smiled softly. “It’s okay if you’re not sure…. I want you to be happy. You don’t have to say yes just yet.” 

 

“Can… can we wait? Um… until the pups are here?”  _ I want to be able to have sex with Ali too… maybe… he’s rough…  _ “And… if… if we bond, I…. I turn into a vampire, don’t I?” He carefully moved to lay on his back, his huge bump between the two of them.  _ I don’t think I’m ready for that... _

 

Drac nodded, thinking. “Alright… we’ll wait for them to be here…” Drac kissed his gland, looking up to him. “....but are you still up for anything….?” His hand ran up his thigh, settling near his base.  _ So pretty…  _

 

Terrance turned red down to his chest, looking away in embarrassment. “I-If you w-want to…”  _ I don’t want to force you…. you haven’t really touched me sexually since we found out I couldn't make slick… but… but I’m making slick now…  _

 

Drac smirked, gently nipping the gland. “I do…. you look perfect like this…. ...are you sure you want to?”  _ I want you to feel good…. I’m not forcing you.  _

 

“I just… I’m fat, and I’ve got stretch marks all over now, and even breasts now….” He groaned as Drac nipped at his gland.  _ His mouth feels so nice…  _

 

“You’re not fat… you’re full of lots of little pups, and it’s beautiful…. and the boobs are a nice touch.” Drac moved up a bit, gently kissing his chest.  _ It’s okay.  _ “You’re still  **very** attractive, don’t you worry…” 

 

Terrance looked at him with dark eyes as he kissed his chest, feeling warmth flood through his body. “You’ll… you’ll be gentle, right?”  _ I want you to be gentle…  _

 

“Of course….” Drac nipped his chest, his hands on his stomach. “....does it still feel strange to touch your chest, or do you like it? Does it hurt?”  _ I don’t wanna do anything you don’t want me to….  _

 

“It… it feels weird, but really good when you touch it… it hurts just a little bit but that’s it…”  _ Just when you’re too rough... _

 

“I’ll be really gentle with you, okay?” He watched Terrance nod, settling his mate on his back, dipping down to gently kiss his chest all over, his hands carefully cupping his breasts.  _ This is… different. But I kinda like it… especially if it makes you squirm like that.  _

 

Terrance squirmed, shivering in his grasp.  _ When he’s gentle it feels really nice, really really nice.  _ He sighed quietly as Drac’s hands ran along his large abdomen and down to his thighs.  _ Fuck yes... _

 

Drac very gently lapped at his nipples, carefully sucking on one as his thumbs massaged the soft flesh on his thighs.  _ You’re perfect like this….  _ He soon sat back on his heels, undressing slowly, making a show of it.  _ I love it.  _

 

Terrance watched him strip with curious eyes, purring as he saw his muscles flexing with every movement.  _ Fuck, it looks… I want it… I want  _ **_him_ ** _. _

 

Drac relished the look he was being given, soon diving back in and giving Terrance a long, deep kiss.  _ Mine.  _ His hands wandered his frame, soon resting on his belly.  _ You’re beautiful….  _ His lips moved across his cheek and down his neck, gently mouthing at the gland there. 

 

Terrance shuddered, turning his head to the side in a soft gasp.  _ It’s swollen, I can feel it just but how he’s sucking on it… I don’t like that it’s this swollen.  _ He whimpered for a moment before he let out a relieved sigh as the oils started to secrete with the coaxing suck. 

 

Drac lapped up every drop that leaked from the gland, happy when it was no longer so swollen, switching to take care of the other. “Does it feel better now? They’re so swollen…” _ We’ll fix that.  _

 

Terrance nodded, groaning as Drac took care of the other. “Y-Yeah… I’ve been… taking a needle to pop them, and squeeze it out… it gets really painful and I don’t like it…” 

 

Drac nodded. “Don’t do that… let me take care of it from now on, okay?” He cleaned out the second one on his neck, going next to his wrists.  _ I’ll fix it…. of course I will.  _

 

Terrance nodded, relieved when the swollen glands were finally back down to their intended size.  _ I really really hope they don’t swell up again…  _

 

“If they ever look swollen again… don’t be too surprised when you suddenly have me at your neck…” Drac kissed his wrists, smirking as he went back in to give his chest more attention with his lips, his hands moving south, rubbing near his base. One hand finally took his length in hand, slowly stroking.  _ Slow… nice and slow.  _

 

Terrance groaned, sighing in utter bliss as he felt a hand on his length. “Y-You’ll take care of them for me?”  _ You will? _

 

“Of course…. I’ve missed you… I didn’t know you needed help with that… ...you deserve so much more attention than what you’ve been getting…. we’ll have more fun this way…” Drac gently sucked on his breast, looking up to him with dark eyes as his thumb slowly rubbed his slit. 

 

Terrance let out a loud yelp as Drac sucked on his tit, feeling something escape him.  _ Oh my god, what was that?  _ He felt mortified as more of it came from his breast while Drac was sucking on him.  _ It feels so weird, why’s he doing that?  _

 

Drac immediately came up, flushed down his neck.  _ Oh my god, I’m an idiot.  _

 

_ Yeah, you are.  _

 

“Oh my god, I’m so sorry, I’m an idiot….” Drac was flustered, completely stopping.  _ I just ruined the moment, didn’t I. Fuck.  _

 

Terrance looked completely embarrassed, pulling his arms around his large breasts and hiding them. “I’m… I’m sorry, they’ve been… they’ve been sore… I didn’t… I didn’t realize it was because I was making milk…”  _ Oh my god this is so embarrassing... _

 

Drac looked up at him, embarrassed and gently going to take his arms away from his chest. “It’s okay… it’s not like it’s bad or anything, I just wasn’t expecting it…. you…. you’re rather big…. maybe I can help….?” He looked up to him, red as he asked permission. 

 

Terrance looked beyond embarrassed but nodded. “If… if it tastes really bad you… you don't have to drink it…”  _ It’ll feel better like that.  _ “I’m gonna have to switch soon…” 

 

“I don’t want it to hurt you at all… if it’s uncomfortable, I want to help….” Drac very gently lapped at him, nervous as he began to gently suck, a bit surprised as he tasted milk, beginning to drink.  _ It’s not bad… it’s kinda nice… strange, but nice….  _

 

Terrance sighed in relief as Drac took the pressure off his chest. “Th-Thanks Drac….” his hands gently ran through Drac’s hair.  _ It feels so much better…  _

 

Drac nodded, drinking for a bit before switching to the other, happy when Terrance relaxed. “Better?” 

 

Terrance nodded hurriedly. “A lot better… it feels so much better… I just wish that you’d be able to do it when I shift…”  _ You won't do it when I’m a wolf… fuck, the mood we had going is gone... _

 

Drac smiled, kissing his cheek. “Good…” He looked over him with soft eyes, gently rubbing his stomach. “....you still look interested….” He eyed his still-hard length, looking up to him with interest.  _ Do you want anything? _

 

“Am… am I even slick enough?”  _ I’m probably not… this sucks, we haven’t been able to have sex at all… I doubt he likes it very much…  _ Terrance felt tears begin to bubble in his eyes, his face feeling hot.  _ I’ve been a bad omega…  _

 

Drac immediately moved to kiss away his tears, his voice soft. “Don’t cry, please, it’s okay… we can get there, don’t worry….” Drac moved to slowly stroke him again, watching him jerk a bit before melting, spreading his legs again. His thumb rubbed his gland slowly, looking over his body. “....you’re perfect, you know that?” 

 

Terrance whimpered for the first few moments, slowly relaxing with Drac’s touch.  _ It feels so nice…  _ “I-I am?”  _ He thinks I’m perfect?  _

 

“You are…. you’re full of our pups, you’ve been doing everything you can to take care of them… you’ve been the sweetest thing to me even when we’re occasionally dicks to you…. I just…  **We** just…. we love you. A lot.” Drac smiled sincerely.  _ We really do.  _ He chuckled as slick dripped from him. “...I’m guessing you like to hear that?” 

 

Terrance’s ears popped out as Drac spoke.  _ He… he said they love me… they… they love me?  _ He blushed completely red, purring as he felt Drac’s hands all over him. “Y-Yeah…. can you… can you tell me more?”  _ I wanna make sure I’m making enough slick…  _

 

Drac smiled, seeing his ears out.  _ He’s  _ **_very_ ** _ interested…..  _ “Of course… ….you know, I don’t think you could look more handsome than you do now… just look at you… you have life inside you, you’re relaxed and open for us, and you taste delicious…” Drac gently nipped his wrist, his eyes bright. “What’s not to love?” He let his hand go to his entrance, stretching him with the amount of slick he was dripping. “And you’re so wet for me…. you smell so sweet… I love it….” 

 

Terrance couldn’t help but moan out in pleasure as he felt the distinct burn of getting stretched.  _ Fuck I’m tight… really really tight… I guess that’s because we haven’t fucked in five months.  _ “Hmm, Drac… Drac, I want you inside…”  _ I want him inside…  _

 

“You’ll have me inside… so soon…. but we can’t have it hurting, hm?” Drac kissed the inside of his thigh, soon mouthing at his base as he stroked it.  _ I want you to feel really good… even with the stretch.  _

 

Terrance purred, one of his hands gripping at Drac’s hair while the other was gripping a pillow beside his head.  _ Fuck his hands are like  _ **_magic_ ** _ …  _

 

Drac smirked, lapping at the warm flesh of his base. “Feeling good?” He watched him fervently nod, a third finger stretching him out. “Good, good…” His fingers slid deeper, feeling his warmth, watching him jerk as he rubbed a certain spot, slowly massaging it. “That feel good?” 

 

Terrance whimpered, nodding as he felt his coil already beginning to tighten and warmth pool in his gut.  _ I want it…  _ “Drac… please… I want you inside…” 

 

Drac’s eyes were a ring of color around black, nodding. “Of course…” He let his fingers slip out of him, moving to settle pillows under his hips and back, kneeling on the bed, his tip rubbing his slick entrance. “Ready, love?”  _ I want you…. fuck….  _

 

Terrance nodded hurriedly, his hands going to grab at pillows to hold onto. “Be… be careful of the pups, Okay?”  _ I don't want to lose them…  _ He let out a soft cry as Drac finally slowly entered him.  _ Oh fuck it feels so fucking good…  _

 

Drac nodded, slowly entering him, moaning loudly.  _ Fuck, that feels good….  _ “...fuck, I’ve missed you….” Drac sighed deeply, his hands on his hips. “I’ll be… I’ll be careful of the pups, don’t worry….”  _ I’ll be careful with them.  _ He started a slow pace, both of them gasping at the friction.  _ I’ve needed this,  _ **_fuck…._ **

 

“D-Drac… I’m not… fuck I’m not gonna last long…” Terrance had his eyes closed, and his grip almost white on the pillows around him.  _ I wonder if he’ll knot me… it’ll be to tight, shit I can just imagine what it would feel like in my wolf form…  _

 

Drac nodded, panting. “I… I won’t either….”  _ Fuck, I missed you….  _ Drac kept the pace steady, his hips jerking a bit as he got closer, whimpering as he soon came inside him, picking up the pace just enough, letting himself swell up.  _ Fuck, I feel hot all over…  _

 

Terrance came on his large baby bump, breathing heavily, opening his eyes as the pups squirmed.  _ Well, they’re awake now…  _ “Drac… the pups….”  _ They’re moving….  _

 

Drac looked him over with worried eyes, his hands going to cradle his bump. “Is it uncomfortable? …do you need to switch?”

 

Terrance was quiet, holding onto the bump with Drac. “Hmm, they’re moving… and I should probably switch soon, I’ll need more nesting stuff…” He closed his eyes for only a moment before looking up to Drac, a thin ring of bright red starting to take over his iris from his pupil.  _ They're starting to get squashed.  _

 

Drac froze, his knot instantly deflating. “....Honey…. your eyes are starting to go red…. switch. Switch now,  **please** ….”  _ Do it!!! Before we lose them! Oh my god, we're gonna lose them…. _

 

Terrance froze as Drac spoke moving onto his side and shifting there, struggling to find proper footing on the bed. His belly still severely extended, his much smaller wolf form still not enough space for the pups.  _ They’re still squished… I’m not big like Lathe…  _ He whined his ears pinned, but the ring of red stayed where it was, not getting larger or smaller. 

  
Drac began to panic, though he gently moved Terrance to lie on his side on the bed. “Stay put, I’m calling Lathe.” He got out of bed and threw on clothes, calling the omega.  _ Please…. you need to help…  _


	16. Pups of Plenty

It wasn’t two minutes later that Lathe was upstairs with them, setting down his med kit.  _ Shit.  _ Lathe only needed a minute before he sighed. “...honey, there’s no avoiding it. You… well, you’ve got yourself a very big litter… and there's just not enough room for everyone in there. You’re going to be giving birth early. But at this point, that’s okay. They’re fully developed, but are much smaller than normal vampire pups. They’ll need more frequent feeding when they’re here and they’ll have trouble staying warm, but they’ll be okay. It could be minutes, it could be hours, it could be days. But you’re going to need someone watching over you twenty-four-seven until they’re here. Where do you want to have them, honey?” 

 

_ Nest…. need bigger nest….  _ He whined, struggling to get to his feet, not managing to get up at all and whining louder at Drac.  _ I wanna be in my nest…. nest needs to be bigger…  _

 

Drac and Lathe shared a look, both of them carefully lifting up Terrance and carrying him downstairs, setting him in the living room. 

 

“....he needs a  **much** bigger nest.”

 

“No shit, uh…. I can-”

 

“If you’d trust me, I can go get nesting supplies. Lots of fabric, fluffy stuff, little towels and cloths for the pups…. do you want to stay, or go get stuff?” 

 

Drac paused, looking to Terrance. “....who do you want to stay here, and who should go?” 

 

Terrance whined, looking at Lathe and pawing for him.  _ I want Lathe to stay, Drac can get more nest… need bigger nest, much bigger nest!  _

 

Lathe nodded, settling right into the nest with Terrance’s head in his lap to pet. “Alright, honey, I’ll stay.”  _ It’s okay.  _

 

Drac smiled softly, looking around the nest. “What colors do you want, honey?”  _ Give me a better idea….  _

 

_ I want dark blues…. and browns…. and maybe a dark purple…. oh! and a bright red… _ He purred as Lathe pet his head, letting his body splay out as it was meant to.  _ I’m okay... _

 

Drac nodded. “Okay, I’ll get all that…. some nice pillows too, don’t worry….” Drac hurried to the kitchen to write it down, soon heading to the door. “I’ll be home soon, don’t worry.”  _ Promise. _

 

Terrance nodded, shuffling around a bit to get completely comfortable.  _ Are…. they’re coming early? How many do I have?  _

 

“They’re coming early, honey. They’re a little squished, but they’re gonna keep growing for as long as they can before we bring them into the world, okay? ...and I don’t know… here, I’ll be gentle, okay?” Lathe gently touched his stomach, trying to feel for the pups.  _ ……..you have a lot….  _ “There are six that I can feel, I think…. there are probably more… but I can’t tell how many exactly….” Lathe smiled. “But you’re gonna have a nice big litter, honey…”

 

Terrance purred, setting his head in Lathe’s lap once more.  _ I’ll have a big litter? Like, like you did? I’m gonna have lots and lots?  _ He whined when the pups started to kick, his abdomen moving from the sheer force.  _ It hurts.. they hurt…  _

 

Lathe rested his hand on his stomach, feeling the kicks, rubbing and trying to calm them down. “Don’t hurt Mama….. it’s okay.” Lathe smiled softly. “The biggest litter I had was nine… I’m blessed…. but I don’t know how many you’re going to have… maybe the same… maybe more.”  _ We’ll know soon.  _

 

Terrance nodded, whimpering as the pups kicked at his sides still.  _ My pups…. they’re moving…. they’ll…. they’ll move when they come out, right? _

 

“Of course they will… they’ll come out whining and fighting. They'll be okay, honey, don’t you worry.” Lathe smiled softly, letting out soft trills to try and calm the pups.  _ It’s okay…. it’s okay.  _ He sighed in relief as they started to settle down, looking up to Terrance. “Doing okay? ….Bruised liver?”

 

_ I think I…. I think I peed a little….  _ Terrance flattened his ears and whined a bit, embarrassed about the predicament. His eyes wouldn’t come up to see Lathe, just looking at the soiled sheets below him. 

 

“Oh, honey, that’s fine, they don’t care what they’re kicking down there. That’s what pads are for. Now, let’s clean that up.” Lathe let Terrance move off of him, gathering up the soiled sheets, putting new ones down in their place. “I’m gonna go put these in your washer, honey, I know where it is.” Lathe meandered over to their laundry room, opening the washer. “If you need to clean up at all go ahead, I’ll take care of this.” He looked up for the detergent, looking around, freezing when he saw the cage.  _ ….oh fuck.  _ “...honey? Can you come here, please?” 

 

Terrance struggled to get up at first before waddling down the hall to the laundry room.  _ Y-Yeah? Do we need more laundry detergent?  _ He was shaking a bit as he stood at the door, not perturbed by the presence of the cage. 

 

Lathe looked worried, noticing his absence of a reaction, looking back to the cage. “....there’s a cage…. is… is something going on that you want to talk about, honey?”  _ Are you okay?  _ He moved closer to him, petting him. “I’m sorry I made you get up, you should be lying down….”

 

_ There’s always been a cage there… we… we use it a lot… _ If he were in his human form Terrance would’ve been blushing down to his neck.  _ It’s okay, the detergent is in that cabinet…  _

 

“...he’s not… he’s not forcing you to stay in there at all, is he?” Lathe looked very worried.  _ I want you to be okay….. _

 

Terrance shook his head.  _ N-No… we use it for fun… and playtime… I haven’t been inside since we found out…  _ He had to sit down due to his shaking legs, whining a bit. 

 

Lathe flushed and nodded, going to help Terrance stand. “Let’s settle you back down…” Lathe walked him back to the nest and let him splay out on his side, petting him gently. “I’m gonna get those sheets washed, I’ll be right back, okay? Sorry about that….”  **_Not_ ** _ my business…. _

 

Terrance nodded, struggling to curl up, and instead sprawling out.  _ Okay…  _ He perked his ears as he heard the door open.  _ Alpha! Alpha’s home!  _

 

Lathe looked up, smiling broadly as he saw the huge bags of fabric as Drac carried them in. “Find anything?”

 

“Only the entire store….” Drac took out the piles, setting them near Terrance. “Let him sort out what he likes and what he hates….”  _ I’ll take back whatever he rejects…  _

 

Terrance quickly got about sorting them, taking the soft ones and moving to increase the size of the nest. He waddled with his sides bulging, letting out a small yelp as the pups started to kick at his insides, whimpering, his back legs giving out. _ Hurts, it hurts, they hurt... _

 

Drac was surprised, guiding Terrance down onto his side so he didn’t squish the pups, going to hold his belly.  _ I need to calm them down….  _ He gently pet his stomach, crooning softly.  _ Calm down, honeys… don’t hurt Mom….  _

 

Terrance whimpered as he was pet.  _ That hurts, it really hurts…  _ He whimpered horribly, his sides visibly moving with their kicks.  _ It hurts! I want it to stop… _ He tried to roll onto his back, letting out a loud pained cry as the pups’ weight pushed against his organs. 

 

Drac kept Terrance on his side, reaching up and pushing his wrist to his neck, feeling Terrance instinctively relax with their mixing scents, letting his out. “Sorry Lathe, Damien can scent you later….” Drac let out low croons, his cheek lightly touching Terrance’s stomach, the vibration gentle, but there. 

 

Terrance relaxed slowly, calming down as the pups calmed down as well.  _ They stopped moving… Can… can they come out yet? I want them to be moving but outside…. _

 

“Don’t rush it, honey, it’ll happen when it happens….” Drac kissed his head, helping him move a bit to keep sorting.  _ It’s okay…. just relax. It’s okay.  _

 

Terrance was a hormonal mess as Drac helped him through the next couple days, Lathe checking in periodically to exam him and help calm the pups down when they kicked. He could barely move when the contractions finally started, Drac milking him with a breast pump.  _ It hurts, Drac it hurts….  _ Terrance let out a surprised yelp as he felt wetness between his legs as his water broke, his eyes finally becoming completely red.  _ It hurts…  _

 

Drac was full of anxiety as he realized what was finally happening, calling Lathe again.  _ It’s time…  _ They soon heard the jingle of the spare key in the door, Lathe running over and setting down his bag. 

 

“Go wash your hands, Drac.” Lathe reached to gently pet Terrance. “Hi honey….. ….I’m not here to take over, I’m here to help guide you… if something feels wrong, you tell me. If you feel like you need to push, push. And if you instinctively want to stop, then stop. You have time, love.”  _ It’s okay.  _

 

Terrance whined, feeling the pain increase steadily, thankful Drac was staying with him. It was hours before the first pup began to breach.  _ I’m…. I’m pushing, it, it feels weird, really weird… I don’t like it.  _

 

Lathe gently eased Terrance around to better see the pup, seeing the umbilical cord around its neck.  _ Shit.  _ Lathe was relieved when the pup finally dropped into his hands, getting the cord off from its neck, very gently holding them up to his ear to listen for breathing when they didn’t move for a second. 

 

The instant they could begin to breathe they were whining loudly, beginning to squirm like hell in Lathe’s hand.  _ Mama!!! _

 

Lathe smiled, giving Terrance the pup. “First of many….” 

 

Terrance seemed relieved as he heard their whines, looking up as the pup was settled in front of him, licking them clean.  _ My pup…. my pup’s okay! My pup’s moving…  _ His tail moved slowly as he nosed the squirming pup, looking up to Drac.  _ You… you have all the bottles in the fridge…  _

 

Drac immediately got up to warm some of the milk from the fridge, coming back with a syringe for the pup. “Hi, honey…. nice to meet you…..” Drac gently cradled the tiny pup to his chest, starting to feed them the milk.  _ You need your food…..  _

 

Terrance watched Drac feed the tiny pup, feeling like he could fall asleep. He didn’t have the urge to push again for another half an hour before he whimpered, pushing and feeling a lot of movement around his hole.  _ It hurts, don’t like it... _

 

Lathe took a look, seeing two pups squished together, coming towards him. “Two of them are stuck together… they’re not about to untangle….. it’s okay, honey, it’s gonna hurt a bit more but I know you can do it…”  _ It’s okay....  _

 

Terrance whimpered, the pain ripping through his sides and back. He managed to push a bit harder and for the two pups out. The two twins appeared to be using the same umbilical cord.  _ Are…. are they okay?  _ His words were fearful until he heard the soft cries of one of the pups. 

 

Lathe untangled them from the other, seeing their joined umbilical cord, untangling it from around one’s neck, holding them out to Terrance. “Lick them clean… it stimulates breathing too… just make sure they’re breathing well, okay? Lick until you get there.” 

 

Terrance nodded, immediately starting to lick them clean and lick at their backs. One of the pups starting to squirm immediately but the smaller one not moving at all.  _ Lathe…. Lathe they’re not moving….  _ He started to panic, licking the pup frantically. 

 

Lathe took back the pup that wasn’t moving, gently tapping their back, the silence tense until the pup coughed and immediately began to whimper.  _ They’re okay.  _

 

Terrance sighed in relief, taking it back from Lathe and licking it all over, the second pup settled in Drac’s hands for food while the first was swaddled in a warm blanket.  _ It’s okay…. it’s okay…. _

 

Lathe smiled, going to kiss Terrance’s head, Drac doing the same. “You’re doing wonderfully, honey….” Lathe took the pup carefully to feed them, letting Drac wrap them up in the warm little blankets that had just come out of the dryer.  _ It’s okay. _

 

“We’re right here, honey. They’re gonna be okay… they’re beautiful…” Drac kissed their tiny heads, smiling as one sneezed.  _ Oh my fucking god they’re so damn cute….. _

 

Terrance watched Drac wrap them up, watching them eat in Lathe’s hands.  _ They’re so cute...and there’s only three…  _ He sighed, setting his large head down and closing his eyes in exhaustion.  _ I’m tired…. it hurts, I want them out... _

 

“They’ll keep coming as time goes on, they’re gonna come when they feel like it…” Lathe gently pet him for a moment before going back to feeding the tiny pup, smiling as they squeaked quietly.  _ Awww……  _

 

Terrance nodded, curling up a bit as the pups calmed down in his womb, having room with the three pups gone. He ended up falling asleep, being woken two hours later with a pup already breaching.  _ Pups… more pups…. _

Lathe looked up as Terrance whined, coming right back over, seeing the next pup.  _ Pup.  _ “It’s okay honey, let it happen….” Lathe was relieved when the pup dropped into his hands, watching them squirm a bit and take one sniff before immediately beginning to cry.  _ Oh no…  _ “....Drac, here.” Lathe immediately set the pup in his hands, smiling when the pup sniffed him and settled down.  _ Good….  _

 

Drac was stunned, kissing their head, smiling.  _ Tiny pup.  _ He offered them to Terrance, letting him lick them clean.  _ Pup….  _

 

Terrance licked the pup clean, purring as they whined a little and settled down. He whimpered as he felt another pup coming, whining when it dropped, another coming right after.  _ More…. _

 

Lathe made sure the pups were okay before he handed them to Terrance, Drac making sure each of them were fed and wrapped up in a toasty blanket. 

 

_ My pups….  _ Drac smiled as he fed them one after the other, happy.  _ They’re so cute… and they just keep coming….  _

 

Terrance whined as yet another pup came rather quickly, it’s cord extremely long and wrapped around its neck and body.  _ I want my pups out…. _

 

Lathe quickly and gently tried to untangle the little pup, soon snipping the umbilical cord, gently petting them as they slowly stretched and moved. “Come on honey, you can do it….” He smiled as they let out a soft whine, accepting it and handing them off. “They’re a gentler one.”  _ They’re okay.  _

 

Terrance looked over the six pups licking them as they squirmed around, some of the pups asleep in their blankets.  _ Is…. is that it? Is that all of them? _

 

Lathe moves to gently feel his stomach, shaking his head. “There are more…. ….oh my god, no wonder they’re so early… six more. A twelve pup litter for someone a lot smaller than other wolves…. honey…”  _ That’s a lot….  _

 

_ Oh my god…  _ “Twelve pups?”  _ Really?  _ Drac looked excited, unable to stop from laughing, shaking a bit with nervous and excited laughter.  _ Oh my god….. so many pups…..  _

 

Terrance looked at him surprised, whining a bit as more contractions went through his body.  _ I think… I think they’re coming now… _

 

Lathe nodded, gently petting him and waiting for them to breach.  _ Come on….  _ Lathe smiled as the first plopped into his hands, untangling them from their umbilical cord.  _ Come on honey…  _ He smiled as they finally squeaked before pawing blindly in the air towards Drac, handing them off, surprised as the next one barely took two more minutes to come.  _ Oh my, they’re gonna come quick…  _

 

Terrance whined as he felt the pups coming one right after the next, pawing at the group as the last six were born in the next fifteen minutes.  _ I’m tired… my head hurts…. I don’t feel good…. _

 

“You’re done, honey…. it’s all done.” Lathe gently pet him, petting Terrance stretch, delivering the rest of the placenta. “Feeling any better?” Lathe got up to get a bowl of water, making Terrance drink deeply.  _ There you go…. _

 

Terrance shook his head, drinking as much as he could and feeling his stomach roll.  _ I don’t like it…. don’t feel good... _

 

Lathe looked up, seeing Drac’s worried look. “....let him drink from you.”  _ He needs blood.  _

 

Drac immediately nodded, handing off the pup and syringe he was holding, moving close to his mate.  _ You need blood…. _

 

Terrance whined as Drac came close, trying to get closer to him, struggling to move with his head spinning.  _ Need blood…. _

 

Drac nudged his neck into Terrance’s mouth, letting him bite and lick up blood, grunting as his teeth dug into him. “It’s okay… drink, you need it…”  _ Be okay….  _

 

Terrance drank as much as he could, his head pounding, and body temperature increasing rapidly as he blacked out.  _ Don’t…... _

 

Lathe looked panicked, reaching for him. “Fuck, that’s an overdose…. fuck, fuck, fuck….” Lathe did what he could to pick Terrance up, trying to get to the bathroom.  _ I need to get him to vomit…. _

 

Terrance was limp in his arms, his eyes bloodshot as he started to drool, his body already trying to get him to vomit the small amount he had just drunk.  _ Hurts... _

 

Lathe managed to get him over the toilet, panicking.  _ Come on…. _

 

Drac was scared when he was left alone to take care of the pups, looking over to the pups, eleven nestled in their own little blankets, one in his arms squeaking as they were fed.  _ ….pups…..  _

 

Terrance shifted in his unconscious state, his body pale and his eyes bloodshot, blood running down his chin as he coughed, more and more vomit coming up.  _ Don’t feel good... _

 

Lathe held onto him as he vomited, scared when Terrance slumped.  _ I don’t know what to do…. fuck…  _

 

Terrance cracked open an eye, starting to vomit all over again, his whole body shaking as he started to sweat profusely.  _ It hurts…  _ “L-Lathe?” 

 

“Honey? Are you okay? How do you feel?” Lathe held the man to his chest, petting him.  _ It’s okay…. _

 

Terrance shook his head. “Hot… too hot….” He started to dry heave, his eyes bulging, and body shaking horribly. “P-Pups?”

 

“Okay, okay, calm down, honey….” Lathe reached for a cloth and drenched it in cold water, wiping off Terrance’s face. “Honey, love, deep breaths… you can’t go anywhere just yet, just take deep breaths for me…”  _ Holy fuck….. _

Terrance was struggling to do even that, finding his head going slack and his body going slack as well.  _ It… it hurts, everything burns... _

 

Lathe pulled Terrance to his chest, letting him relax against him, feeling his chest shudder as he breathed.  _ It’s okay…..  _ Lathe cooed to him, realizing something.  _ He’s sick.  _ “Honey, you’re sick…. you’re gonna need medicine and lots of rest….”  _ We can do that…. _

 

Terrance whimpered, struggling to take in  a breath as his chest tightened.  _ It hurts, I can’t breathe….  _

 

Lathe heaved Terrance up, carrying him to the front room, laying him down on the couch. “Come on, honey. Relax and breathe.”  _ You can do it.  _

 

Terrance whimpered, struggling to move and breathe, his chest constricting and his breathing coming in gasps.  _ It hurts…. I can’t…. I can’t do it.  _ His eyes were starting to close as he began to panic, unable to move. 

 

Lathe looked up, scared. “Drac! Get in here!” He watched Drac come into the room with a pup still in his hands. “Help him relax.”

 

Drac immediately moved to push his wrist to Terrance’s neck, watching him shudder with relief.  _ It’s okay.  _ He looked him over, gently setting the pup on his chest.  _ Pup… relax, your pup is okay…. _

 

Terrance looked down at the pup, his body hot and uncomfortable, struggling to breathe but calming down in Lathe’s arms.  _ Is… is this… my pup? One of my pups?  _

 

“That’s one of your pups… they’re your own….” Lathe smiled as Terrance reached to shakily pet them. “Don’t worry, they’re okay…. it’s gonna be okay. You can relax now- it’s over, and you have twelve healthy little pups.” Lathe looked a bit worried.  _ ….you shouldn’t really hold them until we know you’re not sick…. if they catch whatever you might have, that could be really bad….  _

 

Terrance seemed to sigh in relief, gently petting the small pup, looking at their heads and seeing small bumps at the top of their head.  _ What are these? Is he hurt?  _

 

“Those are their horns, honey… vampires in their true state have horns and wings. He’s okay, don’t worry.”  _ It’s okay.  _

 

The pup squirmed a bit on Terrance’s chest, letting out a whine when Terrance paused in petting them.  _ Mama!! _

 

Terrance’s ears popped into existence as he perked them towards the pup.  _ Hi honey…  _ He struggled to purr, his body heating up.  _ I’m hot…. _

 

The pup snuggled closer, struggling to lick Terrance’s neck where they could reach.  _ Mommy….  _ The pup tried to purr back, falling asleep on his chest.  _ Mama…  _

 

Drac looked prouder than anything, looking over his mate. “....should I go put them back with their siblings? You’re sick, honey….”  _ I don’t want them to get sick….  _

 

Terrance looked up to Drac and down to his pup with worry before nodding.  _ Yeah... _

 

Drac gently picked up the pup, kissing their head and taking them back to the others, settling them down in the middle of the pack.  _ They’re so small…. and so fucking cute…  _

 

Terrance sighed as he looked up to Lathe, his eyes still bloodshot.  _ Is… is it too much vampire blood?  _

 

“I think you’re just coming down with something, honey, you got a lot of vampire blood out of your system… ...you might be going through withdrawal soon because you’ve been drinking so much of it for the pups. We’ll keep an eye on it, love.”  _ It’ll be okay.  _

 

Terrance weakly nodded, struggling to move.  _ My body feels like it’s on fire, am I supposed to feel this hot?  _

 

“No, you’re not…. here.” Lathe ran to get a cold washcloth and his medic bag, gently wiping his face. “We’re gonna get you some medicine and get you to sleep, okay? Are you hungry at all?” 

 

Terrance shook his head.  _ I’m thirsty… really thirsty.  _ He took the medicine that Lathe gave him, whimpering a bit as he struggled to swallow it down.  _ I feel really hot, the cloth feels really good... _

 

Lathe nodded, leaving and coming back with a basin of cold water. “I’ll keep you cool…. Drac will take care of the babies, don’t worry….”  _ They’re okay.  _ “I’m sorry about the blood… we’re gonna do what we can, okay?”  _ Whatever’s best for you.  _

Terrance nodded and coughed as he felt his stomach turn.  _ My stomach feels weird… was I throwing up? _

 

“Yeah, you threw up the blood you drank… you took enough to overdose, definitely… you’ll feel better when the stuff already in your system gets worked out.” Lathe continued to cool him down, rubbing his head and neck with the cloth.  _ You’re gonna be fine.  _

 

Terrance swallowed thickly, his throat feeling dryer than a desert. _My pups are okay, right? They’re all… they’re all moving, right?_ _I want my pups to be moving…_

 

“The pups are all moving, don’t worry. They’re all squirmy and sleepy. Drac’s feeding the pups when they’re hungry, too. They’re okay.” Lathe noticed his raspy voice, running to get a proper glass of water and getting Terrance to drink.  _ Ice water…. it should help.  _

 

Terrance practically chugged the glass of water he was given.  _  Thank you…  _ He looked up to Lathe with puppy eyes as he held out the empty glass, begging for more.  _ Thirsty… can I has more? _

 

“You may has.” Lathe went to get him more, getting him two more glasses before Terrance was finally happy, getting him ice to suck on as he went to try and cool him off more, sighing as he felt his damp hair.  _ You’re so sweaty…  _ Lathe tried to clean his hair with the cloth a bit as well, keeping his head cool.  _ We need to get your temperature down….  _

 

Terrance was slowly able to purr, better able to move around as the effects of the OD started to lessen.  _ Feel better…. but feel warmer…. _

 

Lathe nodded, smiling softly. “You’re gonna feel a bit strange as time goes on, honey… we’ll take care of you, don’t worry…”

 

Terrance nodded, closing his eyes to try and sleep as Lathe ran his fingers through his hair.  _ Tired…  _

 

One of the smaller pups started to wiggle around in his small area, whining as he felt warm, sneezing repeatedly as his nose started to run.  _ Mama….  _

 

Drac looked up as he heard the tiny whine, seeing the sick pup.  _ Oh no, they caught it, didn’t they….  _ Drac quickly picked them up, cradling them to his chest.  _ Oh no….  _ “It’s okay, honey, we’ll get you fixed up…. Lathe?” Drac hurried to the front room, looking scared. “The pup got sick, what do we do?!”  _ Help!! _

 

The pup whined as he was picked up, his chest squeezing a bit as he tried to cough.  _ No like… mama!  _

 

Lathe looked up, taking the pup and laying them on Terrance’s chest, gently petting them and letting them squirm closer to their mom.  _ Okay, okay, okay….  _ “We’re just going to keep it isolated and hope the other pups didn’t catch it… we can’t give them much medicine or anything, but we’ll do what we can. They’ll be okay.”  _ It’ll be okay.  _

 

The pup squirmed as he was settled on Terrance’s chest, calming down for only a few moments before he proceeded to vomit up his last small meal. 

 

The other pups in the den were all starting to sniffle and whine as their temperatures rose. 

 

Drac’s head shot up, going to the den, confused and scared as they all started to whine.  _ Oh no, what happened?  _ He picked one up, feeling how warm they were, his eyes wide.  _ Fuck.  _ “They’re all sick!”

 

Lathe heard the worried call, looking to Terrance with the pup on his chest.  _ Every last one of them, sick….  _ “....come here, honey….” Lathe picked them up and carried them to the nest, gently setting Terrance down next to the many pups. “It’s okay, honey… be with the pups….” Lathe went to get more damp cloths, coming back and making Drac help him cool the pups off.  _ Help…. _

 

Terrance whined as he saw his pups all sick, and whining.  _ They’re… they’re sick? did I get them sick?! I don’t want them to be sick…  _ He struggled to purr, wanting his pups to purr back to him. 

 

The small pup against Terrance squirmed against him as he was held gently.  _ Mama…. mama warm…  _

 

The rest of the pups woke up, some of them trying to purr back, others whining loudly, all of them beginning to squirm closer to their Mom.  _ Wan’ mama….  _

 

Drac knelt down in the nest, helping to clean the pups as they all cuddled closer to Terrance, Lathe taking over to cool down Terrance.  _ We can do this.  _

 

_ Teamwork!!1!1!1 _

 

Terrance tried to purr again, happy when he got struggled purrs back from his pups as they squirmed around. He carefully picked them up, settling them towards his chest, his motherly instincts kicking in and gasping as a pup struggled to latch on.  _ It feels weird… why’s he doing that?  _

 

“He’s trying to eat, honey. It’s what pups do- but they’re too small to latch on…..” Lathe reached to gently move the pup from doing that. “They already ate for right now, and you don’t have any more milk.”  _ You were pumped earlier….  _

 

Terrance whined but nodded, shifting to his wolf form and licking at the pups as they snuggled closer to him.  _ My pups…. I’m really warm… fuck, I wanna groom my pups… but I’m too warm... _

 

“I can help you sit up better if you want, you can groom them…..” Lathe reached into his bag and got out a wide-toothed comb, asking Drac to get him a spray bottle with ice water.  _ We’ll keep you cool with all this fur.  _

 

Terrance nodded, carefully picking up a pup with Lathe helping him lay upright.  _ My pups, they’re so small… they’re warm too, are they… are they sick too?  _

 

“They’re sick too….” Lathe gently misted the pups in cold water, soon going to comb out Terrance’s fur on his neck and back, misting and drying it. “We’re gonna try and keep you all comfortable…. Drac, can you move stuff in this nest around? I need a space that’s only a cotton sheet over the floor for all of them- the ground is trapping too much heat.” 

 

“Got it.” Drac started to rearrange the nest, soon getting half of the nest to Lathe’s approval. 

 

“We’re gonna move all of you over, now…” Lathe helped Drac move all the pups, soon bringing over Terrance and letting him go right back to grooming the pups.  _ Take good care of your babies. _

 

Terrance seemed to be relieved at the temperature difference, licking the pups as they squirmed and whined and giving each of them his full attention.  _ Pups, my pups are gonna be okay right? _

 

“They’re gonna be fine, as long as they stay cool they’ll be okay.” Lathe misted them again and had Drac wave a sheet to better cool them off. “They’ll be okay, once their fever is gone they’ll be okay.”  _ We just need to let it work out of their system, and once it does and their temperature is gone, we can stop worrying.  _

 

Terrance nodded, whining as he stayed curled up around his pups, falling asleep with them. The illness persisted, the pups’ fevers barely going down after two days and Terrance unable to move due to his fevered state. The pups had started to vomit everything they ate, unable to hold anything down, Terrance going through the same. He whined as he woke up in his delirious state, his throat raw from vomiting, his ears perked hearing the pups’ piercing cry of hunger.  _ Pups…. pups hungry….. _

 

Lathe jerked awake as the pups all woke up and began to cry, going to the fridge.  _ They need formula… they need food…  _ Lathe made some formula and went back to the nest, picking up the pups one at a time and feeding them a small bit before setting them back down.  _ If they keep it down for half an hour, they get more… come on, you can do it…..  _

 

Terrance whined as he saw Lathe pick up his pups, feeling his body shudder from the cold.  _ I’m cold…. Pups…. must feed pups…  _ He tried to move closer to the pups, whimpering as his stomach growled and instantly rolled, moving to vomit the stomach acid that was left.  _  It hurts... _

 

Lathe watched with scared eyes as Terrance vomited.  _ Fuck.  _ Lathe stopped instantly, thinking.  _...can I give them anti-nausea stuff?  _ Lathe set down the pup he was holding and ran to his laptop, typing hurriedly.  _ I need everyone in the neonatal unit to weigh in on this.  _

 

***Derek Lopec has entered the group***

***Stacy Izquierdo has entered the group***

***Daisy Gregor has entered the group***

 

**DL: Is there a situation, Lathe?**

**SI: Is everything alright with your pups?**

**DG: all the Nicu are okay….**

**LQ: My neighbor and friend just had pups, twelve of them, and they’re all really sick**

**LQ: They’ve been throwing up everything they’re given and they’re crying from hunger**

**LQ: I need an anti nausea medication that I can give them**

**LQ: I’m trying to give tiny bits of food at a time and hoping they’ll keep it down but I need something better, they’re starving**

**SI: Don’t give them the OTC anti nausea, that can only do more harm than good.**

**DL: Do they have any family record of liver or kidney problems?**

**LQ: No**

**LQ: Oh, and the alpha is a vampire**

**LQ: So they’re vampire babies**

**DG: Humidifier**

**DL: Humidifier**

**SI: Give them a very very small dose of ibuprofen and put them on water… in a warm room… preferably with a Humidifier.**

**LQ: Okay, I'll get on that- a warm room, yes?**

**DL: Yes, keep them on water first, don’t try formula for a couple hours.**

**SI: How big are they?**

 

***Megan Shneck has entered the group***

 

**MS: So warm room, got that, that’ll help them get more comfortable, and the humidifier will help them breathe better and open up airways… water to make sure they can keep everything down once they haven’t thrown up for a bit you can put them on formula…**

**MS: is Mom breastfeeding?**

**DL: Megan!**

**LQ: The babies are all preemies because Mom wasn’t big enough to carry all of them to term, so they’re too small to breastfeed. They’ve been pumping breast milk though, we’ve been giving them that and supplementing with formula if it isn’t enough**

**MS: Is Mom sick?**

**LQ: Yes.**

**MS: Stop using her milk and only use formula, if they don’t get better by tomorrow or if they have a fever higher than 101 I want you to bring them in.**

**LQ: Okay, I’ll do all that. Thank you so much <333**

**MS: Hey, Derek, are you okay?**

**DL: Yeah why? I’m home.**

**MS: Your make up didn’t hide your black eye, Daisy and I are worried about you...**

**DL: I’m fine really.**

**MS: Lathe, talk to him when you have time and knock some sense into his head that he needs to leave that damned mutt he calls a boyfriend for his own safety.**

**DL: Megan! How dare ye!**

**SI: She dares…**

**DG: I agree with Megan!**

**LQ: Honey, I wanna talk later, okay? Once I don’t have a huge litter of sick pups to fuss over.**

**LQ: I’ll make cookies…..**

**MS: You can’t say no to cookies, Derek...**

**SI: They /are/ Lathe cookies…..**

**MS: Lathe makes the best cookies….**

**DL: Okay…. Gavin’s got the late shift tonight… if you want to come over.**

**LQ: Okay honey, I have your address… I'll be there around 7:30 with cookies if that’s okay?**

**DL: Okay, I’ll make sure I look presentable…**

**LQ: Okay honey, I’m gonna go take care of the pups now. To Walmart!**

 

“Drac, you’re going on an adventure.” Lathe went right back into the room, seeing the pups had vomited up the milk.  _ Fuck.  _ “Drac, go to Walmart. Get a humidifier and a space heater.”

 

“What?”

 

“Just go.” Lathe looked very serious, going back to the kitchen when he finally got up, starting to crush ibuprofen and mix it into water.  _ Just a little… not much. _

 

Terrance was licking up the vomit that the pups created, making sure that they stayed clean in their little pen.  _ My pups… my head hurts, my pups are sick…  _ He kept cleaning the pups as Lathe picked each up to eat from a syringe, struggling to purr and coughing up mucus.  _ Feel icky…  _

 

Lathe soon went through each pup, glad when they all fell right asleep after eating.  _ They’re not getting sick right away…. wow.  _ “Honey, do you want a bath?”  _ We can get you a bath.  _

 

Terrance shook his head, looking around for Drac.  _ Where’s Alpha…  _ He whined as he started coughing, hacking up mucus, and his ears dropping to the side. 

 

Lathe nodded, going to wipe up the mucus. “He went to the store- we’re gonna get you all upstairs, get you into a nest with clean sheets, a humidifier, and a nice heater…you’ll all feel better that way.”  _ You will.  _

 

Terrance looked surprised, but made a noise of quiet consent.  _ Alpha will be home to take me upstairs, right? Alpha will be home to help, right?  _

 

“Of course… when he gets home, we’re gonna set up your room, but then I have to go home and make cookies and go see a friend of mine… they’re not doing okay and I wanna go help them too… ...and I think I’ll go home tonight too… I miss my mate and my pups…”  _ I wanna see my babies….  _

 

Terrance nodded, relieved when Drac came home quickly and started to set up the nest upstairs. It took only a half hour before the pups were all settled in the room with Terrance.  _ Pups are sleeping, pups aren’t crying…. I’m sleepy... _

 

Lathe smiled as they all settled down, making sure Terrance took medicine before going to sleep, relieved.  _ They all look better already… good…. _ “Drac, I’m going to be leaving until morning… think you can handle them?”

 

“Yeah, I can. Go home, go see your mate and your pups.”  _ You must miss them.  _

  
“Thanks.” Lathe smiled, packing up before heading out.  _ They have the water for the formula for the pups already medicated and mixed… they’ll be okay. _


	17. Officer Slate

Lathe headed inside, smiling as he smelled his mate. “Damien?”  _ Want mate... _

 

Damien looked up from the chopping board, looking at the two pups sitting on the counter near the chopped food, waiting for pieces. “Alright guys, party’s over.” He set the knife down and picked up the two pups, taking them to go greet Lathe. “Welcome home, Lathe.”  _ The pups were sad you were gone so long... _

 

Lathe opened up his arms and received the pups, laughing as they immediately nosed into his neck and face to attack him with licks, all squirmy. “Hi honeys, hello, Mom’s home….” Lathe looked up at Damien, his cheeks turning pink as he took in his scent. “....thank you, honey….”  _...I miss your scent….. _

 

Damien smiled softly, leaning down to kiss Lathe.  _ I know you do.  _ “So I’m making dinner for the pups… you gonna stay for dinner?”  _ I’m not sure what you’re doing or if Terrance and his pups are still sick.  _

 

“I’ll be home for dinner, but I want to make cookies to take over to Derek’s around 7:30…. his alpha is hurting him…” Lathe sighed, looking up and happily receiving another kiss, pups in his arms.  _ My babies…. ...it’s nice to be home.  _

 

“Does he need a place to stay? Do I need to beat his Alpha’s face in?” Damien’s eyes filled with barely contained rage, the only thing not making him furious was his arms full of pups.  _ I swear I’ll rip him to shreds... _

 

“Whoa, he’s okay right now, his alpha has the night shift right now…. uhm…. I wanna talk to him… and if it’s bad, he might come back here with me….”  _ I wanna keep him safe… the pack has to stick together…  _

 

Damien nodded, calming down as the pups yipped, eventually the entire litter coming to see Lathe and paw at him to be held. “Okay, well, I can’t even think of anyone hurting Derek, he’s a little snippy, but an utter sweetheart…”  _ He’s really really nice unless you royally fuck up... _

 

“I know! He’s too nice…” Lathe looked down with proud eyes, moving to sit on the ground, holding as many pups as he could at once.  _ My babies…  _ Lathe looked over them, beginning to cry with happiness.  _ I love my babies… I missed all of you…  _

 

Damien chuckled, going back to the kitchen and continuing to chop up the veggies, gaining the attention of almost all the pups with the first chop.  _ Time to make their dinner…. they might run from you Lathe once they know the veggies are cut... _

 

Lathe let the pups lick and nudge his tears away, feeling betrayed as they all suddenly ran to the kitchen, leaving him on the floor. “Wow, you’re gonna abandon Mom for food?”  _ Wow.  _

 

Damien chuckled and looked back at the pups, watching them all sit with their tails wagging, waiting for their food. “Lathe, can you get the pulled chicken out of the fridge and a large bowl, and then their bowls?”  _ They won’t start whining if we get this done quickly. _

 

“Okay, okay.” Lathe got up, going to get everything out, setting their dishes in front of them, getting them water as well.  _ Loving food more than me…. betrayal.  _

 

“You know, they haven’t had much of your cooking… I’m sure they’ll come around, Lathe.” Damien kissed Lathe’s cheek, holding a bowl of shredded chicken with chopped veggies.  _ You wanna put it in their bowls?  _

 

“We should fix that, then…” Lathe nodded and took the bowl, starting to divvy it up,  the pups all immediately beginning to eat when their bowl was full.  _ They’re just little black holes, huh. _

 

“They like chicken and veggies… they’ll probably like soup… what do you need for the cookies?” Damien kissed at Lathe’s cheeks as the pups ate.  _ Food. _

 

“I know we have the chocolate chips… mm…” Lathe turned his head to properly kiss him, happy as Damien gently pushed him against the counter, trying to speak when Damien broke away to nip at his neck. “J-Just the usual… flour, butter, a-all that….”  _ Stuff….  _ Lathe let his brain shut off, holding onto his mate.  _ I want you to scent me…. please? _

 

Damien looked at Lathe with dark eyes, crooning to him as he pinned Lathe to the counter and started to scent him.  _ My rut’s coming soon Lathe…. I can feel it coming….  _

 

Lathe whimpered, gasping.  _ You smell  _ **_really_ ** _ good… ...we… we’ll have more when I come home…. okay?  _ Lathe clung to him, letting the alpha drench him in scent.  _ I love you….  _

 

Damien crooned to him and nodded, scenting him all over, making sure it was very protective.  _ My mate…  _ He picked up the pups, taking them upstairs to wash up after they’d gone through their bowls, some having finished and napping in the bowl. 

 

Lathe smiled dreamily when Damien pulled away, letting him take care of the pups as he started on cookies, the possessive and protective scent comforting.  _ I love you.  _ Lathe had a tin filled to the brim with cookies when he was done an hour later, picking it up. _ I’m gonna get going, love.  _

 

_ Alright, you be safe, if that asshole needs to be dealt with just call me, Okay?  _ Damien soaped up yet another pup and rinsed them down, settling them in the clean water where they could splash around before going onto the next.

 

_ Okay, honey. Give all the pups bathtime kisses for me.  _ Lathe went to the door, careful to lock it behind him before meandering to the car, settling in.  _ Cookies.  _ Lathe drove for a while, softly singing to the radio before pulling into a driveway, getting out.  _...Derek’s boyfriend’s car isn’t here… ...I still don’t know how he let him move in with him so early on…  _ Lathe gently rapped on the door in a familiar rhythm, patiently waiting.  _ Whenever you’re ready.  _

 

Derek flinched as he heard Lathe knock on the door, looking down at his shaking hands and then up at the mirror.  _ I should…. I should just take my makeup off…  _ He sighed reaching for the makeup wipes and cleaning his face off, leaving a dark purple bruise around his eye clearly visible.  _ Can’t leave him waiting too long... _

 

Lathe smiled as the door finally opened, his look fading to one of shock as he saw the dark purple, immediately going into mother hen mode. “Oh, honey….” Lathe stepped inside, gently tilting Derek’s head, looking down to the rest of him, hand marks and other bruises scattered over his neck and legs.  _ Oh no…  _ “....honey….” Lathe gave him a soft look, setting down the tin and pulling Derek into a gentle hug.  _ My baby…  _ “I’m so sorry, honey…” 

 

Derek smiled softly, hugging Lathe back. “I’m sorry, I didn’t have much time to clean….” He rubbed at his neck, his eyes widening as he realize he wasn’t wearing the choker he usually wore.  _ Fuck…. he can see it…  _

 

“That’s fine honey, you- ...oh my god.” Lathe looked to his bonding mark, his eyes wide. “....honey… did you bond with him?”  _ Don’t tell me you did…  _

 

Derek looked down and away, feeling his face heat up in shame. “I…. I was drunk…. we both were…. He… he only did it to my neck….”  _ It’s nowhere near a full bond. No one knows, I’ve kept it hidden… I can’t get rid of it... _

 

“....you…” Lathe feel silent, looking back up to him, gently petting him. “...come here…” Lathe held onto him gently, his voice quiet. “...I don’t know how you’re gonna fix that… ...you haven’t asked him to get rid of it… have you?”  _ Oh lord, that would end badly….  _

 

Derek looked down and nodded. “We… we shouldn’t talk about this with the door open… come inside, Lathe…” He pulled himself from Lathe’s  arms and closed the door, locking it with the deadbolt.  _ I wonder if he’ll keep staying over with that tramp….  _ “Gavin’s not coming home tonight….” 

 

Lathe quietly nodded, coming inside and setting the cookies on the coffee table, gently guiding Derek to sit on the couch with him. “...tell me what happened, honey….”  _ I wanna help fix this….  _

 

“We got drunk, and I guess I told him he could, but he probably passed out…. that’s why they’re so small…. I think they’re fading, which means he’s probably cheating on me…”  _ Stupid Alpha….  _ Derek grabbed at a few cookies, starting to eat them.  _ Probably going to get his side bitch pregnant, maybe the bonds will fade completely when that happens.  _

 

Lathe sighed, looking over him. “If he keeps shit like that up those will go away since it’s not a full bond… he doesn’t have control over you like some omegas with abusive alphas… ...do you want somewhere else to stay for the night? Want help kicking him out? Anything.”  _ I’ll get it for you.  _ “Fucker deserves to sleep on the street.” 

 

Derek was quiet for a few moments, feeling something warm on his neck and rubbing at his glands.  _ The fuck?  _ He was confused as he ate a cookie. “Kicking him out would be nice….”

 

Lathe looked to his neck, his eyes wide as the bond marks vanished.  _...the fuck?  _ “....your marks are gone…”  _ What the fuck….?!  _ Lathe sat up, staring at his neck. “.....so, either he just broke the bond,  **really** cheated, or…. or he’s dead.”  _ That’s literally it.  _

 

“He probably just impregnated his side chick and isn’t working…” Derek rolled his eyes and sighed in relief as he rubbed his neck. “They’re gone… thank fuck…”  _ I can kick him out and get him to really leave... _

 

There was a steady knock on the door more than an hour later, making both of the omegas look up from their mission of piling Gavin’s stuff into the corner. “Derek…?”

 

“I’ll get it…” 

 

The tall werecat waiting on the other side of the door looked down as Derek opened it for him, his voice soft and sweet. “Excuse me, but are you Derek?” 

 

“....yeah?”

 

“My name is Jarvis Slate, I’m the Chief Of Police in this county. ...may I come in?”  _ You’re not gonna like this… ….but, you have bruises all over… ….who knows, you might even be relieved…..  _

 

“Of course, you can come in, please don’t mind the mess, I’m kicking my ex- out…”  _ Why is the chief of police here? But my god he’s hot… his jaw is like chiseled granite. Fuck... _

 

Jarvis nodded, taking off his cal as he stepped inside, seeing the pile of stuff and another omega.  _ Oh my… this is gonna be interesting….  _ “Uhm, that’s actually what I’m here about, Derek… you might want to take a seat….” Jarvis carefully moved them to the couch in the living room, sitting in an armchair across from the both of them. “....I’m very sorry, Derek, but Gavin had a fatal accident on the job earlier today…. a steel beam came down on him and ended his life. He didn’t suffer, and I’m very sorry for your loss.”  _ …..he has so many bruises… I should be fixing that……  _

 

Derek looked at Jarvis for a moment and quietly rubbed at his neck, looking down as the room grew deathly quiet. “Lathe… can you… can you make some tea? The bags are in the cupboard next to the boxes of loose leaf teas….” He watched Lathe leave, still trying to process everything that happened. “So, he’s dead?”  _ Completely gone? For the rest of my life?  _

 

Jarvis slowly nodded, his expression soft. “I can see you were in the process of kicking him out… I can see the bruises, it isn’t hard to put it together…. ….but kicking him out and finding out they’re gone for good like that are very different things….” Jarvis sighed, looking down for a long moment before finally lifting his head up again, looking between Derek and Lathe as he quietly fussed in the kitchen, noticing the bag of medical supplies kicked next to the couch. “...your friend, Lathe… is he a doctor?” 

 

“Yes….”

 

“He’s a good friend…” Jarvis looked worried, focused on his black eye. “.....I’m so sorry you were put through what Gavin gave you….”  _ That’s….. I will never understand why someone could do that.  _

 

Derek looked at him and smiled softly before looking down again. “I thought you were coming in to tell me he got arrested again and had bail posted…. Well, maybe he got what was coming for him….”  _ What do I do to keep this beauty here longer? Fuck,but he probably has to go…. well, I can fantasize about him later I guess... _

 

Jarvis smiled ruefully, rubbing the back of his neck. “I don’t know if I would say that…. but anyone who treats someone like he treated you doesn’t deserve much kindness, I’ll say that….” Jarvis felt strangely in place, looking up when Derek moved.  _ Huh? _

 

“I um, I know you’re probably really busy, but um, Lathe made cookies, would you like to try one?” Derek blushed ever so slightly, thankful the bruise covered most of it.  _ This is probably really embarrassing for him, he probably didn’t want to come and tell me….  _ He offered the open tin to Jarvis, and as soon as their eyes met looked down.  _ Shit why am I getting my hopes up, he’s just doing his job…. _

 

Jarvis was pleasantly surprised, smiling softly and taking a cookie, noticing the blush.  _...oh.  _ He felt his ears try to pop up, letting them, twitching a little bit in interest. “Thank you, really…” Jarvis took a cookie from the tin, smiling as he bit into it.  _ It’s very good…  _

 

Lathe come back in a little bit with tea for the three of them, setting a cup in front of Jarvis. “I don’t know how long you’re going to stay, but I made you tea as well…”

 

“Thank you, Lathe… and the cookies are wonderful. Thank you.”

 

Lathe smiled, pleased. “Thank you. And you’re welcome.” Lathe sat down, glancing between Derek and Jarvis, noticing a quiet chemistry.  _ …it has begun.  _

 

Derek looked at Lathe and towards Jarvis, then back to Lathe. “No….. I know what you’re thinking…. and the answer is no….”  _ I’m not going to jump into a relationship right away…..even if he’s got beautiful ears…. and probably the rest of him’s like that too… _ Derek took his mug of tea and slowly started to drink from it, hiding his face.

 

Jarvis smiled softly and chuckled, sipping from his mug.  _ Of course.  _ Jarvis looked up as Derek moved to get another cookie, his ears perked toward him, betraying his interest.  _ Damn, I shouldn’t have let them come out….  _ A little while passed, all of them eating in comfortable quiet, thinking.  _ It’s strange, death… _ Jarvis set down his empty mug, looking up and slowly standing. “Thank you very much for the tea… I should be going…” Jarvis held out a hand as Derek moved to stand, his ears twitching excitedly.  _ Oh my god calm down, I’d hold his hand for a damn second, stahp…. _

 

Derek looked at his hand and then up to him and blushing lightly again before shaking his hand. “R-Right… Sorry for keeping you so long.” He looked away from Jarvis after holding his hand for only a second, and moving to go and open the front door for him to leave.  _ This is embarrassing…. well, I’ll never see him again so it won’t matter…. _

 

Jarvis smiled sweetly. “That’s fine, really. I enjoyed the company.” He followed him, thinking.  _ Don’t let him go! Do something!  _ Jarvis quickly reached into his pocket, pulling out a business card and a pen, writing on the back of it in neat penmanship. “Derek?” He paused in the doorway, smiling softly. “I enjoyed meeting you… if you’d ever like to talk again, about anything, you know where to find me.” He pressed the card into his hand, winking and letting his ears disappear, his expression changing. “I apologize if I’m being inappropriate… I really am sorry for what happened to Gavin…”  _ I really don’t want to fuck this up.  _

 

Derek looked at him suspiciously as he took the card and nodded. “It’s alright, Asshole had it coming…. I’ll let his family sort everything out, have they been told?”  _ Or do I have to tell the crack heads? _

 

“I, well… I’ve already told his immediate family….” Jarvis rubbed the back of his neck. “...there wasn’t much of a response besides a few choice swears… and, uhm… they let me inside while someone still had crack on the kitchen table…”

 

“Oh. My god.”

 

“They’re currently swarmed with other officers… it’s part of why it didn’t take me long… they’ve lost someone close, but I still have to do my job.”  _ It’s difficult.  _

 

Derek sighed quietly and rubbed his nose gently, careful of his black eye.  _ I shouldn’t be surprised.  _ “They have a meth lab on 26 Somerset Dr…… You can probably tell that I don’t like them….”  _ I don’t even care anymore….  _

 

“I’ll have the right people look into that. ...I can kind of understand why.” Jarvis have him a gentle look. “...I’d appreciate seeing you again… hopefully not when something has gone wrong.” He glanced to his card. “Take your time, let me know if you’re interested, okay?”  _ It’s not a booty call or any shit like that, it’s coffee, or lunch. Something nice.  _

 

Derek blushed as he looked down at the card, flipping it in his hands. “I don’t think this is a great idea, Mr. Slate….”  _ He’s just being nice, but…. he’s in his uniform…. and I have weed in the house…  _

 

Jarvis’ expression changed a bit, sighing softly, his smile soon right back again, his voice gentle. “Please, I’d like you to think about it… if you’d ever like coffee or lunch sometime, I’d love to hear from you… but I know you don’t owe me anything. It’s alright.”  _ That’s your choice.  _

 

“Alright, I’ll think about it…” Derek watched him leave and closed the door leaning against it as he sighed. “Lathe, take this card from me.”  _ I shouldn’t see him ever…. that’d be bad…. I wouldn’t be able to say no…  _

 

Lathe took the card, only to quickly take a photo of both sides before giving it right back to him. “If you think I’m gonna let you let tall handsome werekitty walk right on out of your life, you obviously underestimate my abilities as a wingman.”  _ You’re gonna text him.  _

 

“Lathe…. I don’t need a relationship right now…. I don’t think I could trust him, I mean, I know he’s a cop, but he was pushy about it, and he even let his ears out…. What if nothing works because he’s a werecat?”  _ Completely different species... _

 

“Werecats are generally a lot more like omega werewolves… but seriously, could you not tell that he liked you until just then? His ears were a pretty big tell.”  _ That’s a thing.  _ “And werecats and werewolves can work. It’s just really important that you’re really right for eachother. It’s not as easy to tell if you truly fit.” 

 

“I don’t want to find out…. I don't want to go through a different relationship. Gavin just died for Christ sake and I need to get rid of his shit…” _ Need to get rid of all the drugs he’s got in the house…  _

 

“Take your time, honey, he obviously knows what you’re going through right now. Shove that card in a drawer somewhere and vaguely think about it for a while…. only take it out when all of his shit is gone and when you’ve actually had time to process what the hell is going on.”  _ It’s okay.  _

 

“Or I could toss it with all of Gavin’s shit like I should do….. and what I’m going to do.”  _ Gotta get back to doing that.  _ Derek picked up the plastic garbage bag and started to fill it with his clothes.  _ Need to get rid of it... _

 

Lathe sighed, his voice lightly teasing. “But what about that jawline? You’re gonna let that jawline leave? That’s a shame…. he’s handsome…”  _ He is. I mean, I’m taken, and I’m happy. But god damn. _

 

“Yes, a nice jawline can be found on porn sites as well.” Derek threw the card in the bag before he filled more and tied it off.  _ I’m not talking to him, I can’t do it, I’m just gonna get rid of his card right now... _

 

“Honey, please…” Lathe sighed, shaking his head. “...if you’re sure you can’t just toss it into some cupboard somewhere and forget about it for a month…” 

 

“One hundred percent sure… I’m not talking to him ever, better for him, better for me, better for everyone.” He kept filling bags and tying them off and took them to the door so they’d be easier to toss away.  _ I’m getting rid of it. I don’t want to see him again, even if he was interested, I’m not ready for that kind of relationship again.  _

  
Lathe sighed and nodded, moving to help with the bags.  _ That’s fine for right now.  _


	18. Officer Slate Part 2

Two months had passed since then, Jarvis pulling up to the hospital, parking and walking inside.  _ I need to see how they’re doing.  _ He walked where he was directed, looking around for someone to help him as he came to the neonatal unit, spotting a familiar face ahead.  _ Oh.  _ “Excuse me?” 

 

Derek turned around a baby against his chest, their head on his shoulder, sleeping curled up to his neck. He froze when he saw Jarvis, quickly schooling his expression. “Can I help you Officer Slate?”  _ He’s in his uniform…. he looks so nice... _

 

“Hello Derek… I’m here about an Emma Gervaise… she was rescued from a house fire recently, I wanted to see how she’s doing.”  _ Is she okay? _

 

Derek looked down to the sleeping child on his shoulder. “She’s fine, but she didn’t want to sleep in the cribs we had….”  _ Picky one, wanted to be held and walked around.  _ “We’re going to hold her for observation, but her lungs were fine, and as soon as she calmed down she was okay.” 

 

Jarvis smiled softly, his eyes warm. “Oh, I didn't know that was her right there. That’s of course fine, and I’m glad her lungs are doing okay. Thank you so much for taking care of her.” 

 

“Well it’s my job to do that…. her parents are on the second floor getting treated for their burns if you want to come with me? I was about to take her to go see them.”  _ Well, so they could see her, they’re all here… _ Derek blushed as he looked over Jarvis, almost purring in the eyecandy’s presence.  _ He’s…. I swear he looks even better right now... _

 

Jarvis smiled softly, surprised when Derek let out a fluttery purr for a second, chuckling softly as he sputtered with embarrassment. “It’s fine, don’t worry. It’s a nice sound.”  _ It really is…  _ Jarvis stepped to the side, his look gentle. “Please, lead the way.” 

 

Derek nodded, walking in front of him with the sleeping baby.  _ Shit, I’m wearing the ass huggers too…. fuck me! _ He lead him to an elevator, rubbing the babe’s back.  _ To her parents….  _

 

Jarvis couldn’t help it, looking over the man in front of him.  _ ….that…. is a  _ **_nice_ ** _ ass.  _ Jarvis was careful to not let Derek catch him staring, stepping into the elevator after him. “How long have you worked here?”  _ I wanna know more about you.  _

 

“Since I got out of Med school…”  _ If I tell him he might freak out because I’m so old…  _ He looked down as the babe woke for a moment and cried out, gently cooing her back to sleep, thankful she fell right asleep. 

 

Derek smiled as the pup immediately calmed back down. “She certainly likes you. ...what made you want to do neonatal, if it’s not too personal?”

 

“I’m infertile….”  _ And an omega…. not a good combination….  _ “It’s to keep myself from going insane…” Derek stepped out of the elevator and started walking down the hall.  _ If he was interested, he’s not interested now... _

 

“Oh, I’m sorry….” Jarvis gave him a sympathetic look, stopping himself before he said anything.  _ I probably shouldn’t go on any sort of tangent about my own problems… he wouldn’t care to hear.  _ “I can understand… every mate I’ve had has been incompatible that way…” _ I’ve had shitty luck in that department… every mate either hates the sex, doesn’t like me in heat or rut, or gets pissed when we get serious enough to want kids….  _

 

Derek shrugged, gently cooing to the babe as she woke up once more and started fussing.  _ So he’s been around…. well that doesn’t surprise me…. Still not gonna take his offer, even if it’s been two months…  _

 

Jarvis could tell that had made it worse, drooping a bit.  _ Fuck.  _ He picked himself right back up, his expression neutral.  _ He’s not gonna care to hear about it. All he now knows is that I’ve been around. So that’s now what I’m going to be known for. ….good fucking job, me.  _

 

Derek paused in front of a door, looking over at Jarvis and then back to the fussing baby.  _ Time to meet the parents.  _ He knocked before walking in holding the baby, watching the parents look up and look relieved to see their child unharmed. 

 

Jarvis stepped into the room after him, smiling softly.  _ ….fuck…  _ The werecat talked with the two parents for a while, watching them pet and coo over their baby.  _ They’re doing well… that’s good.  _ Jarvis was anxious to leave, doing his best to hide that.  _ I can’t fix that unless I give a fucking speech. He’s  _ **_really_ ** _ cute… and he sounds really nice too.  _

 

Derek smiled, and explained where their child would be and told them he was taking her back to get fed. He was relieved when they agreed and gave the baby back, and she fell right asleep on his shoulder.  _ So Mr. Slate is a catch that’s been hooked a lot… wonder if he’s still got a hook in his mouth now…. _

 

Jarvis stepped out of the room, holding open the door for Derek, walking with him down the hall in strange silence.  _...I want to fix this.  _ They both stepped into the elevator, Jarvis speaking after a moment, looking ahead. “I don’t know what you think about me-”

 

“Mr. Slate-”

 

“-but it’s not correct.” He looked him in the eye. “I’ve been bonded four times and have broken every single one because my mates couldn’t stand that a baby wouldn’t happen after two months. Everyone else leaves when they hear I won’t mate until bonding, and that bonding takes time for me. I haven’t had a date in two decades because nobody needs an alpha like me, apparently.” Jarvis looked away, his voice quiet. “I apologize for being so inappropriate… I didn’t want to lead you on when I gave you my card. But it wasn’t a good time to tell any of that.”  _ I wasn’t about to tell you I’m a reject two minutes after telling you your mate just died.  _

 

Derek looked him up and down, not saying a word for the rest of the elevator ride until they got to the neonatal unit. “One date, if you can entertain me, I’ll maybe let you take me on another, but no promises, and you have to tell me when in advance so I can take off work…”  _ Because I barely go home anymore…. I sleep here a lot…  _

 

Jarvis felt anxiety running through him on the rest of the ride and the silent walk, smiling happily at his words. “Of course, I’ll let you know well ahead of time. ...here.” He took out another card, writing on the back again, handing it to him with a small smile. “Thank you very much for this, Derek. And thank you for taking care of Emma like you have.”

 

Derek smiled and he blushed heavily.  _ So he doesn’t mate until he’s bonded…. that’s interesting….  _ He sighed as he went back into the neonatal room and settled Emma down so that he could take the prepared bottles and start to feed the babes they had. 

 

Jarvis watched him go, soon walking back down the hall, the sight of Derek’s red face making him smile.  _ He’s cute…. like…  _ **_really_ ** _ cute….  _

 

Derek sighed as he finally finished work late in the night, pulling out his phone and the card to text Jarvis.

 

***You’ve created a chat with Jarvis Slate***

 

**DG: this is my number -Derek**

**JS: Okay; Thank you for getting back to me, really.**

**JS: Would you be interested at all in having lunch with me two Wednesdays from now?**

**DG: I’ll be working but I can take an extended break… if you want to pick me up?**

**JS: I’d like that, and I definitely can pick you up**

**JS: Don’t worry, nothing over the top. And I’ll get you back to work on time.**

**DG: That’ll work wonderfully, you’ll have to come actually get me though, my schedule is all out of whack…**

**DG: I’m even sleeping in the break room again.**

**JS: I hope you’re getting enough rest ><**

**JS: I’ll actually fetch you when the time comes though, don’t worry**

**JS: I’m sure you’ll wake up once you remember there’s food involved**

**DG: Enough rest is debatable… I haven’t been home in over a week...**

**JS: You need to sleep! I know that the babies are a lot of work- there’s no way they’re not- but you should be getting enough rest yourself…**

**JS: There are days when I fall asleep at my desk, but I’ve never spent an entire week here under normal circumstances….**

**DG: It’s getting harder to fall asleep without someone next to me...**

**JS: I’m so sorry about that…**

**JS: ...I really don’t want to scare you off, but if you need someone to help you sleep better, I’m here...**

**JS: I can get you a ride home if you want, too….**

**DG: ….can I ask you three questions?**

**JS: Of course, anything**

**DG: Do you sleep shirtless?**

**JS: Only sometimes in the summer…. It’s too cold right now**

**DG: Okay…. do you snore?**

**JS: Nope….**

**DG: Do you sleep walk?**

**JS: Nope**

**JS: But, uhm….**

**JS: I do prefer to sleep with my ears and tail out… if that’s okay…**

**JS: And if staying in my boxers is okay…**

**DG: That’s fine, you’re not anywhere near your rut…. right?**

**JS: I’m not, don’t worry.**

**JS: And if anything happens that you’re not okay with, you’re free to kick me out**

**JS: I don’t want to make you uncomfortable**

**DG: Are you okay if I come over to your place? I live on the other side of the city…**

**JS: Okay, of course…**

**JS: I’m warning you right away, I have a lot of nests around the house…**

**JS: like**

**JS: A lot**

**JS: So I really hope you don’t feel off put by it….**

**DG: This is curious…. you’re an alpha, with nests?**

**DG: I mean I know you’re a werecat, but do you really nest that much?**

**JS: I know, I’m sorry, I just**

**JS: I like them a lot…**

**JS: I try to keep them reigned in, but it’s hard to not keep buying stuff for them….**

**JS: There’s definitely more to my place than nests, don’t worry…**

**JS: But they’re there….**

**JS: So….**

**DG: Are you going to pick me up? I’ll get my stuff together...**

**JS: I’ll be there soon, don’t worry.**

**JS: I’m here, I’m coming to the lobby.**

**DG: coming…**

 

Derek grabbed his bag making sure that his scrubs were neat as he readied himself in the elevator.  _ Maybe he’ll scent me? His scent is really nice…. and I’ve got nothing to worry about…  _ He was a ball of nervous jitters as he got out of the elevator, looking more frazzled than he had earlier in the day.  _ I need sleep…. _

 

Jarvis immediately came over when he saw him, smiling softly. “Hello…” He reached to rest a hand on Derek’s arm, guiding him to the door. “How was your shift?” 

 

“It went as well as it could, quiet…. a few preemies came into the NICU today, so I got assigned to them, it was quiet, and I tried to sleep but couldn’t.” He let out a soft sound as he yawned, carrying his bag on his shoulder as he let Jarvis lead him.  _ I wonder if he’d pick me up?  _

 

Jarvis smiled softly, a bit concerned as Derek swayed. “...come here.” Jarvis stooped to scoop the omega up, carrying him securely in his arms to his car.  _ I can’t have you falling over.  _ Jarvis took the opportunity to quietly sniff his hair.  _ Mm, he smells nice.  _

 

Derek gasped at first as he was picked up before quickly sinking into Jarvis’s arms and chest, purring as he settled his head in the crook of his neck.  _ He smells really nice, maybe I’ll be able to fall asleep?  _

 

Jarvis smiled as he purred, managing to get his car door open and setting Derek inside, soon getting into the driver’s seat to get them home. “It’s only seven minutes, it’s not that far.”  _ Don’t worry.  _

 

Derek nodded holding onto his duffle bag as his eyes barely stayed open. The seven minutes felt like seconds as he spaced out, not even realizing they had arrived until Jarvis opened his door and scooped him out of the passenger seat.  _ Are we there already?  _ He purred more as he snuggled into Jarvis’s neck, scenting his own face and trying to lather himself in Jarvis’s scent without realizing it. 

 

Jarvis chuckled as Derek tried to scent himself, moving to scent the omega’s hair, smiling. “You’ll have however much of my scent you want soon, Derek….” Jarvis held him to his chest as he got the door open, getting them inside. “Please, don’t mind the nests….” He carried him further inside so he could dump off his own bag.  _ I’m an alpha…. ...alphas don’t get big nests…. _

 

Derek purred as he was held, looking over his shoulder to see the small nest area in the front room by the windows. “Small….”  _ It’s really small, really really small, he calls that a nest? That’s just a collection of blankets... _

 

“No, it’s not…. it’s really big…”  _ Alphas don’t get to have big nests….  _ Jarvis carried him upstairs to his room, his other nest a slightly larger pile of blankets on his mattress, some pillows mixed in.  _ Nest…  _ “Sorry it’s so messy….”  

 

“What are you talking about? You can still see the mattress…” Derek let Jarvis set him down, setting his duffle bag down and out of the way.  _ I have boxers on under these…. I can sleep in those…  _

 

Jarvis shook his head, sounding anxious. “No, it’s really big… ...I’m an alpha, we don’t get to have any bigger nests…”  _ ….I want a bigger nest…  _ He felt a wave of sadness, trying to calm down as he undressed, flushing when he saw Derek stripping to his boxers unfazed.  _ ….he looks really good….  _

 

Derek looked over the nest, his instincts kicking in already to make it bigger, and in his sleepy state went to go and find more blankets and pillows to make a bigger nest.  _ Need bigger nest for Alpha and me…. _

 

Jarvis was confused as Derek left, continuing to get ready.  _ It’s okay…. the nest is okay… right? I switched everything out to the nice purples the other day, it’s fine….  _

 

Derek came back with his arms fully loaded with dark blue pillows and blankets after finding them in the spare room. He settle it down before starting to arrange everything on autopilot.  _ More, need more... _

 

Jarvis froze when he saw the amount of nesting stuff on his bed, anxious. “...is it… is it really okay to have so much stuff in my nest? ...even if I’m an alpha?”  _ Can I really….? _

 

Derek looked at him straight in the eyes, his words soft as he spoke. “Nest needs to be big for alpha and me…”  _ Need more... _ He went back, grabbing all the maroon and dark reds and spreading everything out, rolling around and scenting it as well. _ Needs to smell like Alpha too… I need to smell like Alpha... _

 

Jarvis looked over the large nest Derek made, wanting to cry.  _ I can have my big nest…  _ He crawled into the nest after him, pulling Derek close and beginning to thoroughly scent him.  _ Thank you…. thank you thank you thank you…..  _

 

Derek purred loudly, his ears and tail popping into existence as he was scented heavily. His scent sweetened every so slightly as he was handled gently, and allowed to touch Jarvis’s bare arms.  _ Muscles…. Alpha has muscles, Alpha will protect me... _

 

Jarvis was gentle, his own ears and tail coming out, his nose burying in his throat.  _ ….fuck, you smell really good….  _ He pulled him closer, wrapping around him.  _ I’ll keep you…. mine.  _

 

Derek let his scent sweeten even more as he was practically pulled into Jarvis’s lap and held close.  _ Alpha will keep me safe, and Alpha will take care of me…  _ His purring hadn’t stopped, and only increased in volume.

 

Jarvis took in his still-sweetening scent, trilling softly.  _ He smells  _ **_really_ ** _ good….  _ Jarvis remembered their texts, gently moving Derek to spoon him comfortably, nuzzling his neck.  _...I like this… a  _ **_lot…_ **

 

Derek whined for only a moment before he purred and let his scent sweeten to a point where his slight arousal from Jarvis was blatantly obvious, he kept his tail out of the way from between them. He kept his ass planted near Jarvis’s crotch, purring and rubbing his body up against Jarvis like a cat in heat. 

 

The werecat was at a loss for what to do, confused.  _...is he actually serious?  _ Jarvis whined softly, his mind in overdrive.  _ …..Fuck, he’s nice, and he smells wonderful…. but I’m not ready…  _ Jarvis’ ears pinned, whimpering as Derek rubbed closer.  _ Not ready yet….  _

 

Derek immediately stopped, pinning his own ears and finally realizing what he was doing.  _ Fuck…. shit, now I’ve gone and done it….  _ He sat up, rubbing at his eyes from the pure exhaustion. “Fuck, I’m sorry…. I should go sleep on the couch….”  _ I fucked up, he probably thinks I’m really weird…  _

 

“N-No, it’s okay….. here….” Jarvis reaches up and pulled him back down, settling comfortably to curl around him, his ear pressed to his back. “...is this okay?” 

 

Derek nodded, curling up to him and trying not to shake.  _ Right…. he doesn’t have sex until he’s mated…stupid me… he’ll never want it... _

 

Jarvis stopped when he felt Derek shaking, sitting up a bit, reaching to gently pet the omega. “...you’re shaking…. please, let me fix it….”  _ What’s wrong? _

 

Derek froze as Jarvis shifted, his ears pinned to his head as he was pet looking down, his tail tucking as well. “I’m… I’m sorry, I didn’t mean…. I didn’t mean to do that…” He started to pull away from Jarvis to curl up to himself, shaking every so slightly.  _ How can I be so stupid? Why’d I even come here? I should’ve just stayed at the hospital…. _

 

“Derek, it’s okay….” Jarvis gently pulled Derek closer, suddenly face to face with him in the dim light.  _ ….he’s cute.  _ Jarvis gently reached for his cheek, going to softly kiss the other, his voice gentle when he pulled away. “Don’t apologize, it’s okay…. I’m still nervous about finding the one after it’s been so long and difficult. And it’s natural, and you’re exhausted. It’s okay.” Jarvis smiled softly.  _ It’s okay.  _

 

_ …. he kissed me! _ Derek was frozen, his entire face heating up as he leaned forward right when Jarvis pulled away.  _ Right…. he doesn’t really want me…. he wants his ‘one’ _ He nodded and moved to settle himself back down. “H-How do you normally sleep?”  _ I can just curl up to your side…  _

 

Jarvis didn’t miss the small movement forward, his eyes flitting over Derek’s entire face.  _ …...wait.  _ “Well, uhm….” He forgot what he was going to say, his brain shutting off as he moved to kiss him.  _ …...mine…… _

 

Derek was shocked for a moment as he was kissed again, slowly melting into it and his hands coming up to run through his hair and rest on his chiseled jaw.  _ He’s kissing me, this is really nice.  _ He opened his mouth a bit, half expecting a rough tongue to push its way inside.  _ He’s kissing me... _

 

Jarvis felt his lips open up, very slowly moving to deepen the kiss, his arms slowly winding around the omega’s body.  _ Mine…. all mine… I’ll take good care of you.  _

 

_ His arms are really strong, I like being in his arms, and he’s on top of me... _ Derek purred as Jarvis deepened the kiss, tilting his head to the opposite side a bit and letting it deepen further, his mouth opening to accept Jarvis’s tongue and his own twirling around the warm and slightly rough appendage. His scent got sweeter once more as he was held closely and held in the werecat’s strong arms.  _ Want Alpha….. but I can’t have Alpha…. _

 

Jarvis could feel his own musk changing just a bit and getting stronger, still trying to suppress it.  _ But… if we do that, and he’s not the one….  _ He began to seriously reconsider with the hands slowly roaming his back.  _ ….but…. I’m not sure… _

 

Derek pulled back from the deep kiss to breathe, purring as he felt Jarvis’s large hands roam on his back and sides, melting as his thumbs ran over his hips.  _ Does…. Does Alpha want me too?  _ He let his scent sweeten more, not holding back as his sensitive body was caressed. 

 

Jarvis went to drink in his scent, moaning softly.  _ He smells  _ **_really_ ** _ good…  _ He felt himself getting excited, still a bit wary.  _...I haven’t had anyone around for years… ...maybe…  _ Jarvis moved to gently kiss up Derek’s neck, his voice soft. “....I know what I said, about mating…. but…. if you really want to….”  _ ….I think I’d be okay with that…. ...maybe…  _

 

Derek froze as he heard Jarvis speak.  _ But Alpha doesn’t want to…..  _ “I’ll be okay…… I can take care of m-myself…” His voice sounded dejected but he kept his head tilted to the side for Jarvis to see his slightly swollen gland.  _ I’m getting too excited because I have an Alpha holding me…. _

 

He looked down at his swollen gland, going to very gently lap at it. “I’m not going to bond you, just….” He very gently sucked, feeling his tongue go numb with the oils, his pupils dilating.  _ Fuck, he tastes good…  _ “...you smell wonderful, and you taste  **delicious** …. ...I’m really reconsidering….” Jarvis’ hand ran up and down Derek’s side. “.....and you look really good too….”  _...I kinda wanna….  _ “...I just want you to be okay with that….” 

 

Derek’s ears perked up at those words. “I-I’d like that…. I’d like that a lot…”  _ I need to get laid….  _ He purred as he felt Jarvis suck more at his gland, the oils releasing and his sweet scent filling the room as his boxers started to tent.  _ I want him, I want Alpha…. _

 

Jarvis could feel himself hardening, pulling back to look over him, suddenly full of happiness.  _ ….he’s so cute… and he’s in my nest… I have a  _ **_nest…_ ** _ mate is happy….  _ Jarvis trilled, excited as he dipped back down to gently suck at the other side of his neck, releasing those oils as well.  _ Fuck…  _ His hands began to nervously roam him, slowly getting acquainted with his figure.  _ ….I like this…  _ He went for his wrists, his gaze going south after the second one. He slowly moved between his legs, gently sucking on the glands on the insides of his thighs.  _ ….so soft…  _

 

Derek let his back arch, purring as he was handled gently and not pulled every which way. He let out a loud moan as he felt Jarvis suck at his glands once more, his feet curling as he got even harder in his boxers, bringing himself to full hardness. His small length started to leak precum as he was starting to make slick already, his boxers starting to get damp.  _ I like this Alpha, this Alpha’s really really nice... _

 

Jarvis paused when he smelled sweet slick, slowly going to take off Derek’s boxers, turning him over and presenting his entrance.  _ So pretty… so sweet…  _ He instinctively dove in, his long tongue easing into him.  _ I want it….  _

 

Derek let out a loud moan as he was flipped and felt Jarvis’s rougher tongue enter him.  _ Fuck it feels so good.  _ He didn’t stop moaning, the room quickly filling with his gasps and moans.  _ His tongue feels wonderful, holy shit…  _ Derek started to leak more slick as he was eaten out, shuddering as Jarvis rubbed his ass cheeks as well. 

 

Jarvis felt himself go rock hard listening to him.  _ Oh god, he sounds like an angel…  _ Jarvis made sure to pay extra attention to the ring of tight muscles, stretching them out.  _ I don’t want him to be in pain…  _ He pulled away after a while, unable to take it and quickly shedding his clothes.  _ I want him… so bad…  _ He was completely nude after a moment, looking him over. “...like this? Or would you rather be on your back?” Jarvis kissed one of his ass cheeks.  _ So handsome…  _

 

Derek blushed as he heard Jarvis’s voice deepen ever so slightly. “Like this…. please?”  _ If he bites the back of my neck I’ll cum instantly…. I wonder if he knows that… _ “Please… please, I want this…” 

 

“Okay…. Of course, however you want it…” Jarvis didn’t bother grabbing a condom, kissing up Derek’s back and lining himself up.  _ Mine.  _ He slowly pressed his tip inside, feeling Derek jump. “You okay?”  _ I need to make sure…  _

 

Derek nodded, letting out a gasp as he pushed forward. “It feels good…. you’re really big….”  _ Really big…. I hope he has a knot, I don’t know if he does or not…  _ He purred as Jarvis used slow movements to fully seat himself.  _ Fuck yes… so full, so full of alpha... _

 

The alpha let out a slow moan as he slid inside, panting a bit when he was fully seated.  _ I wanna cum…  _ He pulled back, snapping his hips back into him.  _ Mine…. all mine…  _

 

Derek moaned out loudly as he grabbed at the sheets below him. “F-Fuck, J-Jarvis…”  _ Holy shit yes it feels wonderful.  _ He purred as he felt his coil tightening quickly.  _ I haven’t had sex in so long... _

 

Jarvis felt the same, gasping a bit, his hips moving quickly, pounding into him.  _ Fuck…  _ “S-So good… hah…” He whimpered, holding onto his hips, careful not to bruise him. “....I-I’m….”  _ I’m gonna cum….  _ He looked down, his teeth making a beeline for the back of his neck.  _ Feel good…  _ He bit down, feeling Derek violently shake.  _ Good…  _

 

Derek felt Jarvis bite down on his neck, purring as he came instantly.  _ Fuck, holy shit if feels so good.  _ He tightened around Jarvis as he made more slick, whining, wanting a knot to fill him. “Feels so good, J-Jarvis…” Derek was still shaking from the ecstasy of cumming. 

 

The alpha moaned as Derek tightened, cumming deeply inside him, pressing close as they knotted together.  _ Oh fuck, oh fuck, oh fuck…  _ He moaned loudly, whimpering.  _ Fuck, you feel so good….  _ Jarvis slowly relaxed, lying them on their sides in the nest, curled around the omega protectively.  _ Mine… all mine…  _

 

Derek purred loudly as he was knotted, and let Jarvis move them around. “Hmmm, you have a knot…”  _ Fuck that was amazing... _

 

“I do….” Jarvis pulled them flush, instinctively turning and beginning to lick at what skin he could.  _ I’ll make mate clean… keep mate happy…  _

 

Derek shuddered as he felt his rough tongue on him, slowly purring as he was licked. _ This is nice… it’s really nice…  _ His exhaustion caught up with him quickly as he fell asleep with Jarvis cleaning him. 

 

Jarvis nuzzled into his neck, gently rubbing his stomach, waiting for his knot to go down. He slipped out of him, moving them a bit and holding onto him protectively.  _ I’ll keep you safe.  _

 

Hours passed, the alpha waking up first, feeling at ease.  _ …..today is going to be a wonderful day…  _ He slowly stretched, seeing Derek still sleeping beside him, smiling.  _ He’s so cute…  _ He gently kissed his nose, getting up from the nest and putting on a tank top and sweatpants.  _ I’ll make him the best breakfast he’s ever had.  _

 

Derek slept for a long time, waking up to the smell of food, slowly stretching feeling something leak out of him and realizing quickly that he was full of cum.  _ Oh fuck… we had sex last night…. and he was really gentle, thank god... _

 

Jarvis heard creaking upstairs, getting the rest of breakfast ready before coming to the bathroom and gently knocking. “Derek, love? There’s a nice robe for you hanging just outside the door. There’s breakfast downstairs when you’re ready, okay?”  _ Omelettes and all the fixings…  _

 

Derek looked up from where he was in the bathroom. “O-Okay… I’ll be down soon.”  _ Fuck, I wonder if we’d be able to do this again? I liked sleeping with him…. in both senses of the word…  _ He was reaching behind himself to make sure he was cleaned out completely. 

 

“Okay… ...do you need any help?”  _ In case you need it…  _

 

_ I’m not sure if I got it all out….  _ “Can um…. can you make sure I got everything out?”  _ I’m not sure if I did or not…  _ He got up from where he was on the toilet to open the door for him.  _ He’s already seen me naked... _

 

Jarvis blushed as he saw him, nodding. “Okay, come here…” He gently moved him to hold onto the counter and bend over a bit, reaching for a washcloth and dampening his hand. “Just relax, okay?” He slowly slid two fingers deeply into him, feeling around and slowly working his release out of him.  _ Come on… easy…  _

 

Derek jerked a bit as he felt his fingers enter him, moaning as he felt around and found his prostate without much effort.  _ Want it…  _ “Hmmm…. Jarvis…”  _ Your fingers feel so fucking good... _

 

Jarvis looked up for a moment, thinking, easing the rest of the cum out of him before his fingers went to slowly massage his prostate.  _...you’re lucky I’ve spent so much time alone… I have good fingers for this…  _

 

Derek’s eyes widened as he gripped the counter to hold onto, his legs shaking from the pleasure that was running up his spine.  _ Fuck…. it feels wonderful, he’s strong enough to keep me on my feet too... _

 

Jarvis made sure to keep him from collapsing onto the floor, his voice soft as he rubbed harder. “...you make wonderful sounds…”  _ I love it.  _

 

Derek’s ears popped into existence with that comment, starting to slick even more as he was rubbed, the excess dripping down to the floor.  _ It feels so fucking good, I want more.  _ “A-Alpha….. feels good….” 

 

Jarvis moved to catch the slick with the cloth, keeping him clean as he sped up. “Good…. just let it happen, love…” Jarvis’ eyes were dark as he watched him shake.  _ He’s so handsome….  _

 

Derek nodded, letting out a loud cry, which echoed in the bathroom as he came, slick rushing out of him as he gasped for air in bliss.  _ Holy shit, he made me cum, fuck that felt so nice... _

 

Jarvis caught most of the mess, his hand slipping out of him, going to kiss all over his shoulders. “Good, good… you sounded wonderful…” He held him close, rinsing out the washcloth with one hand, going to clean him up, kneeling in front of him.  _ Mine… I’ll take care of you…  _

 

Derek shuddered as he was gently cleaned, looking down at Jarvis with a blush in his cheeks.  _ This is… this is nice.  _ “Thank you… Jarvis…” He stood up on his own leaning down to kiss his forehead before moving to get the robe and slip it on.  _ Ooooooh yes, it smells just like him... _

 

Jarvis flushed as he was kissed, hanging up the rinsed cloth and bringing the omega downstairs. “I made omelettes and bacon… I can get you toast too if you want it… do you want coffee? Tea?”  _ I’ll get you stuff…  _

 

“Tea would be great.” He settled himself down in front of a plate of steaming food, smiling as he picked up his fork.  _ This’ll be interesting, going to work… I definitely smell like him…. but it was so worth it…  _

 

Jarvis nodded, setting a copper kettle on the stove, seeing Derek’s curious look. “I love tea and coffee a lot… so I got the nice kettle…”  _ I wanted it…  _ Jarvis looked away in embarrassment.  _ I like weird stuff, I’m sorry…  _

 

Derek smiled softly, eating at his omelette slowly. “It tastes really good Jarvis… thank you for making breakfast….”  _ Would it be rude to ask if I can come over tonight too?  _

 

“Of course… It's nice to have someone to cook for…” He blushed, sitting opposite Derek as they waited for the water to boil, beginning to eat.  _ ….he’s really pretty…  _

 

Derek smiled as he ate all of the omelette and started working on the bacon, looking up as the kettle screeched.  _ Tea time!  _ His ears were perked up happily as he nibbled on the bacon pieces. 

 

Jarvis got up to get his tea ready, setting a mug down with a small jar of sugar cubes and a tiny pitcher of cream, seeing how excited Derek was. “....you’re really cute….” He flushed scarlet as Derek looked at him.  _ Oh my god, he’s adorable….  _

 

Derek flushed just as red as Jarvis.  _ Alpha thinks I’m cute…  _ He purred as he took the cup and added a tiny bit of cream and the smallest piece of sugar he could find.  _ This is perfect. _

 

Jarvis looked immensely pleased as he purred, happy.  _ He likes it all…? Really?  _ He softly trilled, nibbling on bacon.  _ I love it…. _

 

Derek finished off his tea before he got up. “I need to get dressed to go back to work…. should I call someone to get me or….?”  _ I don’t wanna assume…. _

 

“I’ll drive you, don’t worry… I have to go too.” Jarvis stood, taking the dishes to the sink before he went upstairs, flushing when he saw Derek getting dressed in his room.  _ He’s handsome…  _ Jarvis let himself press against his back, one arm around his waist, the other going to tilt his head back to kiss him.  _ Mine… I had a really good time….  _

 

Derek blushed as he was kissed, kissing him back deeply before pulling back.  _ I wonder if he liked this…. he probably won’t text me ever again….  _ “Do my scrubs look okay?”  _ Maybe if you look at my ass… maybe you’ll stay interested. _

 

Jarvis looked him over, his cheeks still pink as he looked over his ass.  _...that ass… is a very nice ass…  _ “You look good…” Jarvis smiled at him a bit shyly, kissing him softly.  _ I like you… a lot….  _

 

Derek smiled and kissed his cheeks before getting his duffle bag together.  _ Need to get everything all set for going back…. I need to go home tomorrow… I’ll probably be forced to take the week off soon… fuck, I don’t wanna go home for a week… It’s gonna hurt if I do it alone…  _

 

Jarvis chuckled softly, going to get dressed, stretching.  _ ….that was wonderful…  _ Jarvis meticulously tied his tie, sighing softly.  _ I want to do that again sometime….  _ “Derek?” Jarvis slid behind him again, kissing his neck. “....if you ever want to do that again, you’re welcome whenever you like… and it doesn’t have to just be about sex. If you’re exhausted and want someone to sleep next to, let me know, okay?”  _ I like you…. a lot…..  _

 

Derek blushed and kissed his cheeks. “I’d like that, I’d like that a lot.” He had a smile on his face for the entire car ride to the hospital, duffle bag in lap.  _ So…. should I text him about sleeping with him more? Or is he just being polite?  _

 

Jarvis smiled as he pulled up to the doors of the hospital, his voice sweet as Derek opened the door. “Have a good day at work. Text me sometime soon, okay?”  _ I want to hear from you again.  _

 

Derek nodded, leaning back over to kiss his cheek before getting out of the black Charger.  _ He’s got a nice ride…  _ He went inside, immediately getting into his proper work clothes for the NICU to work with the preemies.  _ Lathe’s probably already here... _

 

Lathe soon enough walked past him, smiling brightly. “Hi Derek-” His expression changed when they got closer, pulling him over and sniffing him, looking at him with wide eyes. “You smell like werecat…. ….did you and Jarvis…?” Lathe looked overwhelmingly excited.  _ My baby!! _

 

“Shhh!!” Derek held a finger to his lips, looking at one of the babies as they slept, their arm only twitching a bit. “Yes we did but it’s probably not gonna happen again….”  _ I don’t think he really even wanted to do that last night… I mean, the sex was great, but….  _

 

Lathe smiled excitedly, being much more quiet. “Don’t say that! I’m sure he had a good time too. Did he seem happy…?” 

 

“I-I mean y-yeah…. But, he broke one of his rules that he had…. I don’t think he really wanted to do that….” Derek shook his head as he got gloves on and started to make more specialized formula with a mask on as well.  _ Fuck, I probably shouldn’t text him either….  _

 

Lathe sighed, giving him a soft look as he picked up one of the pups that began to softly whine, gently petting them. “It gets to be like that sometimes…. ...it’s how I was with Damien… I didn’t want to rush anything and get attached too quickly, but feelings happen and they make you want to do stuff you said you wouldn’t before… it’s like how you can think one day that you’re going to go on a diet but the next day you’re back to eating chocolate cake for lunch. That sort of thing.”  _ It happens.  _

 

“Lathe you did that while you were five months pregnant, you were living on sugar at the time…” Derek rolled his eyes as he prepared small syringes for Lathe handing him one for the pup he was holding before picking up another to feed as well. “I went to his house and didn’t even intend for us to go that far… and we went that far… fuck  I think I screwed up….”  _ Major screw up... _

 

“Was he still happy this morning?” Lathe started to feed the tiny pup he was holding, looking Derek over.  _ He was practically glowing when I first saw him… but he looks so worried now….  _

 

Derek looked to the pup as he started to eat, looking down in shame. “I don’t…. I’m not sure if… if he was just being nice…. or if…. if he was actually okay with everything….”  _ Fuck, I can’t text him anymore, that’s be so embarrassing.  _ He looked almost ready to cry, struggling to calm himself down as he clammed up.  _ I practically forced myself on him…. shit… what have I done?  _

 

Lathe looked worried, coming over to him, gently nudging his arm. “Hey, it’s okay…. you have his number now, don’t you? Why don’t you see about setting up another date? Just something simple, like coffee before work or something. Make sure everything’s still okay. But he seemed like a sweetheart, I’m sure you two could talk if there was a problem.”  _ I just know it.  _

 

Derek looked down at that and nodded. “Why do I always screw up Lathe? First with Gavin…. and now this? Christ this past decade has been horrible…”  _ And a majority has happened in the past 6 months… _ He continued to feed the pups as much as they would eat, looking at Lathe with broken eyes. “What if he realizes that he didn’t want to do that last night?”  _ What happens then?  _

 

“If he really feels regret, then he should be old enough that you two can talk about what you really want out of this relationship you have. You’re two adults, it’s not a middle school crush. It’s okay to feel that sort of stuff. But at the same time, if he looked happy and hasn’t said anything about not liking it or regretting it, then I don’t see a reason to worry. If you’re really concerned, text him. Start a little chat. It’s better than not knowing.” Lathe smiled softly, moving from pup to pup, hugging them all gently before he put them down.  _ Babies… so cute…  _

  
Derek nodded, remaining silent for a good portion of the day, sighing quietly as the day went by without incident.  _ The pups are fine…. but I should stay here tonight just in case… Remy’s not doing as well as we want him to…  _ He picked up the runt of the litter and held him against his chest, gently petting him as he sat in a rocking chair and cooed to him softly.  _ I shouldn’t text him, he’ll think I’m a needy omega…. which is what I am, but he’ll think I’m just there for sex too… _


	19. Heat

Jarvis sighed as his workday ended, rubbing his eyes.  _ I’m tired… hm.  _ He pulled out his phone, finally relaxing at his desk as he started texting. 

 

**JS: Hi Derek- I’m sorry if you’re still at work and I’m interrupting you**

**JS: How was your day?**

 

Derek looked up as his phone chimed, groaning and looking down carefully with the pup nestled against his neck.  _ He’s breathing a bit better…. that’s good, I don’t know how long I’ve been asleep for… Lathe left awhile ago… _ He reached for his pocket, taking the pup and putting him back in with the other pups, watching them for a moment before grabbing his phone out of his pocket.  _ Oh fuck it’s Jarvis… shit, what do I do? Fuck fuck fuck…. I can’t text him... _

 

**JS: Hi love, how’s your day been going?**

 

Jarvis tidied up his desk while he waited, smiling softly.  _ I hope he’s doing okay. I want to see him again….  _ He frowned a bit when he hadn’t replied for a few minutes, picking up his phone again. 

 

**JS: I’m sorry if you’re still working, I don’t want to bother you**

 

_ …….. _

 

**JS: But I really do want to see you again soon….**

**JS: If you need someone to sleep beside again tonight, I’d love to have you over again….**

**JS: I can make dinner if you want.**

**JS: Whatever you like.**

 

_ I don’t wanna be pushy…. but I wanna see him really badly….  _

 

Derek looked at his phone, too scared to try and text back.  _ But… he’s just being nice right? Because I said I couldn’t sleep by myself?  _ He put his phone on silent, tossing on the cot he was sleeping on, trying to fall asleep.  _ I feel warm… preheat’s starting…. fuck, a week early... _

 

Jarvis dropped as his phone stayed quiet after that, sighing.  _ ….would it be inappropriate to go to the hospital again and ask about him? ….I wanna see him…  _ Jarvis made up his mind, standing and getting his keys.  _ I wanna see you.  _

 

Derek groaned, moving to get all his things together as his scent slowly started to change and he signed out his schedule for the next week.  _ I need to get home… I can have a cab take me home…  _ He hailed a cab downstairs, the busy hospital making his life a lot easier, getting in the car and telling the older beta his address.  _ Need to get home and lock the doors…  _

 

Jarvis walked into the hospital not a minute later, looking around.  _ Damn, uh..  _ He decided to meander down to the neonatal unit, as quiet as he could be as he came inside, seeing Lathe in a rocking chair with four pups on his chest asleep.  _ Oh my god, so cute….  _ Jarvis waved, his voice very soft. “Do you know where Derek is?”

 

“He left just a few minutes ago for home… ...hey, uhm….” Lathe looked down at the pups, thinking. “He was afraid you regretted last night… because you broke your rules…. so, when you see him… if you’re okay with what happened and you really do like him, make sure he knows that…. okay?”  _ Be good to my baby.  _

 

Jarvis immediately nodded, scurrying out of the unit.  _ I’ll leave them be.  _ He went back to his car, thinking.  _...I can’t just go to his home empty-handed… ….omegas love sugar, right?  _ About a half hour later he was standing on Derek’s doorstep with candy and flowers, his face already flushed.  _ I’m being over-the-top about this…. but I don’t give a shit right now.  _

 

Derek looked up as he heard a knock at the door, quickly reaching for scent concealers and wiping his neck down with them.  _ Fuck… this could be bad, but also not…. but I don’t know who it is.  _ His legs were a bit wobbly before he got his footing, starting to come to the door when Jarvis’s scent hit him. “J-Jarvis?” His voice was small as he opened the door but kept the chain on it.  _ What’s he doing here?  _

 

Jarvis smiled when he saw him, his pupils dilating when he was hit with a sweet scent.  _ Oh god, he smells good…  _ “I’m sorry, you might not have seen any of my texts… I just… I really wanted to see you again. I'm sorry if it’s a bit sudden, I just….” He looked down, red as he showed him the gifts. “I wanted to.”  _ I hope it’s okay…  _

 

Derek looked at the flowers and box of chocolates, nodding and closing the door to unhook the chain. “Y-You can come in…”  _ I’ll have to send him away later, my heat could come any minute now… my body’s feeling really warm, and I’m surprised I’m this functional right now…. _

 

Jarvis smiled as he was let in, breathing in slowly and drinking in the scent that was filtering through the house.  _ Heat…. is mate in heat?  _ Jarvis turned to catch Derek’s waist, gently pressing his back against the door and kissing him slowly.  _ Mine…. I missed you…  _

 

Derek gasped as he was pushed against the door, slowly melting into the kiss before pulling back. “I’m sorry, but you can’t stay for long, okay?”  _ Fuck, why’d I even let him in? He already smells really good…  _

 

Jarvis whined softly, holding him close and nuzzling into his neck, drinking in his scent.  _ He smells  _ **_really_ ** _ good….  _ “Why not…? You smell so good…”  _ I wanna stay…. _

 

Derek shook his head, pushing at Jarvis’s chest to try and get him off. “N-No, you can’t stay, you need to leave…”  _ He’s-he’s not gonna wanna leave… f-fuck am I gonna need to call the cops? _

 

Jarvis suddenly realized what he was doing, stepping back a ways, whimpering softly for a moment before he stopped, his cheeks flooded red with shame. “I-I’m so sorry…. I-I should know better than to try and force it when you’re about to go into heat…. j-just….”  _ Fuck, he smells good…  _ His legs felt shaky, leaning on the wall. “....fuck….” His tail and ears popped into existence, his tail twining around his leg, his ears tipped towards Derek.  _ I want…  _

 

“Just…. just leave, please, I… I don’t want you here for my heat…”  _ No… last time that happened he cheated…  _ “Please… please leave….” Derek had tears in his eyes as he started to panic.  _ He’s not gonna wanna leave... _

 

Jarvis looked scared as Derek started to freak out, coming closer. “Okay, okay, I’ll go… I’ll go, you don’t have to worry….” Harvis gently kissed his tears away, trying desperately to control himself. “I-If you change your mind… you have my number, o-okay?”  _ I wanna help…. mate doesn’t want help….  _ He moved to open the door, nearly stumbling as he started to leave, looking back at Derek with clear, lovestruck eyes.  _ …..I hope he’s my true mate…..  _

 

Derek looked at him through the open door and felt his heat hit him full force when he looked at Jarvis. He whined, reaching out for him as his knees buckled.  _ Need Alpha… need Alpha for heat…  _

 

Jarvis looked stunned when Derek collapsed, his instincts kicking in, darting forward and catching him before he fell.  _ Mate…  _ Jarvis purred softly, picking him up and carrying him inside.  _ I’ll take good care of my mate….  _ He carried him upstairs, lying him down in his nest, thinking.  _ ….wait…  _ “Derek?”  _ ….he didn’t want this…  _ Jarvis was finding it harder to keep his head clear, his eyes obviously full of want.  _ I want him… so bad…  _

 

“A-Alpha...want Alpha’s knot…” _ Want Alpha’s knot for heat... _ He purred as he was laid down, clawing at the clothes he was wearing wanting them off of his body.  _ Want Alpha.  _

 

“Derek, love….” Jarvis reached to catch his wrists. “You… please, try to really think clearly about this… are you really okay with me being here for this? I mean, we’ve barely met…. we’ve only sorta had one date…. I don’t know anything about you….” Jarvis started to realize what was happening, starting to panic.  _ …..I should’ve…. I should’ve listened to him…  _

 

Derek whined, clawing at his clothes, getting them off as his scent increased ten fold.  _ Want Alpha….  _ He made more and more slick which was leaking from him and running down his thighs. Derek shifted his attention to Jarvis and started to paw at his clothes as his ears and tail came into existence. “Want Alpha…. Want Alpha’s knot….” 

 

_ …..I should’ve left… he’ll be mad if I go now, but I don’t want him to be pissed as fuck and leave me if I stay….  _ Jarvis slid to the floor, whimpering.  _ I don’t know what to do… if I went into rut and we were true mates, that would make this so much easier…  _ He thought, not feeling his body heat up, his ears pinned flat to his head.  _ ….we’re not….  _

 

Derek looked at Jarvis as his ears pinned, his own ears pinning as well as he quieted down and moved away from him to shift into his wolf form.  _ Alpha doesn’t want to help….  _  He large wolf form curled up around himself to try and keep the pain down.  _ It hurts…  _

 

Jarvis looked up as he saw his wolf form, thinking.  _...he’s  _ **_really_ ** _ pretty…  _ He let himself shift, looking very much like a Jaguar.  _ …..wanna help….  _ He came up onto the bed, nudging him gently, scared.  _ …..you won’t be mad if I help…. right?  _ He moved to gently lick his head, nervous.  _ Don’t be mad…  _

 

Derek looked up as he was nuzzled and he moved to kick Jarvis back.  _ Want Alpha’s help… hurts…  _

 

Jarvis hopped off the bed, whining.  _ But I  _ **_am_ ** _ Alpha…  _ He shifted back to his human form, his ears and tail still out, whimpering loudly.  _ …..he doesn’t like me when I’m a cat…. ….fuck….  _

 

Derek looked up to see Jarvis’s human form, purring and trying to get closer to him.  _ Alpha’s here… Alpha will help... _

 

Jarvis looked back up to him, catching his paws and his attention. “...Watch me, honey, okay?” He felt himself slowly shifting again, soon looking at him as a cat.  _ Please…. put it together… I can only help you when you’re like that as a cat….  _

 

Derek looked over him soon shifting to his human form and reaching to pet Jarvis and run a hand through his soft fur. “Pretty Alpha…. Alpha help?”  _ Alpha will help right?  _

 

_ …..he thinks I’m pretty…?  _ Jarvis loudly purred, jumping onto the bed and going to lick his face, soon shifting back to human form and beginning to undress him.  _ I’ll help….  _ His scent made his mind hazy, his nose pressed to his neck.  _ Sooooooo good…. _ He started to feel warm, jumping a bit when Derek’s hands started to tug at his own clothes again.  _ I want…  _

 

Derek purred as he was undressed, whining when he felt Jarvis’s clothes on his skin.  _ Need off….  _ He pawed weakly at them, trying to tug them off and only managing to make them disheveled.  _ Want off…. want Alpha… _ The omega was starting to get more and more antsy with the longer he spent with his Alpha.  _ Smell good…. smell rut…. _

 

Jarvis nodded, sitting back and starting to strip, feeling strange, breathing deeply.  _ ….I want…  _ His brain shut off for him, the autopilot making it so much easier as he gathered the omega in his arms and moved to suck the oils from his swollen glands, careful not to burst them.  _ Mine… taste soooo good…  _

 

Derek purred as his glands were sucked on, feeling the sensations run down his spine.  _ Alpha’s helping.  _ “A-Alpha….” He whined as he felt more slick leave him and dripping on Jarvis’s lap.  _ Want Alpha’s knot….  _ “Kn-Knot…” 

 

Jarvis nodded, flipping him over, going right for his hole, lapping up the sweet slick.  _ Wanna taste…. so good….  _ He held onto him firmly, possessive.  _ I need him…. mine… all mine….  _

 

Derek’s whole body trembled in bliss as he felt Jarvis’s rough tongue against his loose hole.  _ Want Alpha…  _ He lowered his chest down while keeping his hips up for Jarvis. “Alpha… alpha, want Alpha…. Alpha’s rut….” 

 

Jarvis’ long tongue rubbed against the sides of his entrance, loosening him up.  _ Mine… all mine…  _ He soon pulled back, sliding into him not a second later.  _ I need you… I need you now….  _

 

Derek tightened around him instantly as he came.  _ Alpha’s here… Alpha will give me his knot.  _ He was a moaning mess under Jarvis as he started to move, tightening around him every time he came and loosening up almost immediately, ready for more.  _ Want Alpha…. smells like rut... _

 

Jarvis’ pace turned brutal quickly, pounding into him hard.  _ Soooo good…  _ He gasped as Derek came for the fourth time, finally releasing deeply into him, lying them down and curling around him.  _ Mine…. I’ll take care of you…  _

 

Derek purred as he was held, letting Jarvis lick at the open skin he could find, the heat lessening for only a bit as the knot staved it off.  _ Alpha’s filling me up…. really filling me up…  _ He closed his eyes,  falling asleep in exhaustion, his mind hazy as he woke the next time.  _ Alpha’s taking care of me….  _

 

The next week was a blur, a cycle of waking up, fucking, eating or cooking, and fucking again before they knocked out.  _ I love him… my mate…  _ Jarvis came out of his haze on the sixth day, shifting to his cat form to stretch out long before going to gently lick Derek clean.  _ ….he’s…. he’s my true mate….  _ He was overwhelmingly excited, though he remained gentle, gently nuzzling the omega.  _ He’s mine….  _

 

Derek whined as he was licked, shifting and feeling slick and seeing it rush out of his open hole.  _ Fuck…. I’m a mess, my nest needs to get changed… hmmm, it smells like Jarvis…. wait… _ He opened his eyes, his head pounding as he took in the bright lights. “Ngh…. lights…”  _ I want them off... _

 

Jarvis immediately got up and batted the light switch with his paw, coming back into the nest and gently nudging him back down, nuzzling him.  _ Hi… ...you’re  _ **_really_ ** _ pretty…  _ Jarvis languidly stretched out beside him, feeling deliciously sore.  _ I had a really nice time… you put me into rut… I’m so sorry, I know you said you didn’t want me to stay, but…  _ His ears pinned, looking down.  _...you can throw me out now…. _

 

Derek looked at Jarvis’s large form and shook his head. “It was….” He coughed clearing his throat, his voice hoarse. “It was probably better you stayed…. and I think you put me into heat a week early….”  _ It was probably because we had sex when I went to your house, that started it... _

 

Jarvis looked up, happy.  _ You put me into rut two months ahead of schedule…  _ He moved to gently nose him, his voice soft.  _...I really, really like you… I know we have a lot to learn about eachother, but… I’m hopeful... _

 

“Are…. are you being serious?”  _ Two months early? That’s almost unheard of… we couldn’t be…. could we? Oh fuck, if we are, I need a pregnancy test… _ “Shit…” 

 

Jarvis looked up and immediately understood, shifting back, an arm around his middle. “I can go run to the store… get us some….”  _ That’s probably a good idea….  _

 

Derek shook his head, looking around the room. “Where’s my phone… I need Lathe to get it… I need to see a packmate…”  _ Holy shit, I actually went through a proper heat with someone…  _

 

Jarvis immediately nodded, looking down and turning red. “....can I shift back?”  _ I like being a kitty…  _

 

Derek looked over his shoulder and at Jarvis. “Can… can you make me food first?”  _ I’m starving, and I’m sure you are too... _

 

Jarvis immediately nodded, leaning over to softly kiss Derek’s cheek. “Of course, I’ll go cook….” Jarvis got up, looking around for something to wear. “...uhm… do you have anything for me to wear that might fit, or….”  _ I don’t wanna wear my slacks again….  _

 

Derek blushed furiously before pointing at the duffle bag he had. “Your…. your sweatpants and nightshirt are in there….”  _ I maybe kinda stole them…  _

 

Jarvis looked to the bag, going over and pulling out his clothes, flushed red.  “......that’s so cute……” He came right back to the bed, going to attack Derek with kisses.  _ I love that…  _

 

Derek looked at him with surprise, purring as he was kissed.  _ He thinks I’m cute…  _ He purred until his stomach growled loudly, looking at Jarvis sheepishly.  _ I want food... _

 

Jarvis immediately nodded, getting up. “I’ll get you food.” He got up and dressed, heading downstairs.  _ I’ll get you food, don’t worry. I can’t let my mate go hungry…  _

 

Derek smiled as Jarvis left to make him food, looking at his own nest and seeing it pulled apart.  _ But… but I liked this one…  _ He whined for a moment, trying to figure out where his phone was before looking for his clothes.  _ I need Lathe… Lathe needs to tell me everything’s okay… and that it won’t happen like the last one…. _

 

Lathe was napping when he heard his phone ring, answering it before it could make the pups wake up and howl.  _ Fuck.  _ “Hello?”  _ It’s naptime….  _

 

“L-Lathe…” Derek held the phone to his ear as he felt everything hit him at once. “L-Lathe… I need you to… to go to the store and get um… I need a pregnancy test, for werewolf and werecat…”  _ I can’t believe I actually have to tell him that… fuck what happens if I  _ **_am_ ** _ pregnant?  _

 

Lathe immediately sat up, his eyes wide. “I’ll be there soon- your place?” He soon hung up, going to get his stuff in order, kissing Damien goodbye. “I’m sorry, I need to go be with my packmate.”  _ He needs me.  _

 

Derek sighed as he hung up the phone and looked around at his nest, whining and starting to pick it apart.  _ The slick dried on the blankets… that means I have to get rid of it… but… but I don’t want to… _ His scent soured as he got upset.  _ I want to keep my nest... _

 

Jarvis came right upstairs as he heard whimpers, confused. “What, what’s wrong?” He came over, seeing the spots. “Honey, it can wash out… they make detergent for this kind of stuff, it’ll wash out….”  _ Don’t worry…  _

 

“I-I can k-keep my nest? I-I don’t have to throw it out a-again?”  _ I can keep it?  _ Derek looked hopeful, his eyes large and his hands shaking as he held onto the soiled sheets.  _ Want to keep it... _

 

“What? No, you don’t have to throw out your nest. You get to keep it, of course… you always get to keep it…” Jarvis kissed his cheek, smiling softly.  _ You can have it.  _

 

Derek slowly calmed down and nodded, looking around. “Can keep all of it?”  _ I want to keep all of it, I’ve always had to throw it out…. _

 

“All of it… why did you think that? Stuff washes out, you can keep all of it…” Jarvis paused, thinking. “...is that what…. what the guy before me told you?”  _...really? _

 

Derek nodded, looking away and sniffling. “I-I didn’t need to get rid of it?”  _ I could’ve kept it?  _

 

“...no, honey…. I’m sorry….” Jarvis pulled him into a hug, gently rubbing his back. “You don’t need to get rid of nests anymore… it’s okay….”  _ Fuck, I’m sorry….  _

 

Derek seemed to sigh in relief, nodding and moving to rub his neck against any open skin he could find.  _ Mine, must smell like me… I must smell like him... _

 

Jarvis took careful hold of him, rubbing their necks together, beginning to scent him very thoroughly.  _ Mine.  _

 

Derek purred the entire time, looking up when he heard a knock at the door and grabbing another oversized shirt from the duffle bag.  _ I stole a few more things….  _ He scampered to his feet, his lower back covered in bruises and hand marks, as well as hickeys, but quickly covered by the shirt. He opened the door and looked at Lathe with his ears perked. “H-Hi…”

 

Lathe looked over the omega, first checking that he wasn’t bonded, then looking back up to his face. _...he’s practically glowing…._ “Hi honey-” He looked up as Jarvis came downstairs, surprised when a hug from behind caused him to burst into purrs. _Oh my god… my baby…. and he’s_ ** _very_** _scented…_ Lathe beamed, excitedly bouncing on his toes. “I’m so **happy** for you….” _You smell like the last legs of heat and rut and I know Jarvis wouldn’t have been anywhere near rut and aaaaaah!!_

 

Derek looked at him with a blush on his face. “Y-You can come in… J-Jarvis was just making me food…”  _ I’m still hungry, but I need to take the test… I really need to... _

 

Lathe nodded, stepping inside and handing him the bag. “Okay. And here you go, honey….”  _ It’s okay. _

 

Jarvis nodded and kissed Derek’s cheek softly, his voice quiet. “...no matter what it says, I care about you.” He slipped away to go back to the kitchen, continuing to cook.  _ I can make a quiche…. they have the stuff for it…  _

 

Derek looked at the bag and nodded, taking Lathe upstairs to the nest with him before going to go and take the test.  _ If…. if I am pregnant, what happens then? But if I’m not… am I still infertile?  _

 

Lathe settled in the nest, starting to rearrange it and fold some of the blankets up.  _ These need washing….  _ He looked up when Derek came back, tugging him into the nest. “It’s okay, honey… I’m just putting aside what needs washing, your nest is okay… ….and no matter what that test says, we love you…”  _ It’s gonna be okay.  _

 

Derek nodded, curling up to Lathe’s side as he sorted everything.  _ Okay…  _ “He’s not…. he’s not gonna turn out like Gavin, right?”  _ I don’t want to get hurt... _

 

“I really think you’re gonna be okay, honey… he looked so happy to be with you downstairs… he’s a sweetheart…. But if you ever feel scared or think something’s wrong, don’t hesitate to call me, okay? But I have a really good feeling about him…. you threw each other into a heat and rut… he just might be the one…” 

 

“What…. what happens if he wants pups?”  _ I won’t be able to have pups…. I’m infertile, I can’t give him that…  _ “Will he… will he cheat too?” 

 

“You two really need to talk about that… he should know… pups between two different species is hard, and your low fertility will make it harder, but you’re true mates…. you’re meant to fit together. And if he had enough control to keep from bonding you while you mated like that, I’m sure he’ll be able to work something out with you, no matter what it is you individually want. But you two should talk about it soon.”  _ He deserves to know.  _

 

“He-He smells really nice, I don’t wanna lose him…”  _ He’s really nice… I don’t want him to leave me… but…. but I’m not the best option for him…  _ He whined as he curled up tighter to Lathe, burying his face in his shoulder, not wanting to look at the test as the results started to come in.

 

Lathe smiled, rubbing his back, sighing in relief as he saw the test results. “Honey, you’re not pregnant… it’s okay.” He gently kissed his head, holding the omega close. “It’s okay, nothing to worry about yet…. it’s okay, honey…”  _ I’ve got you.  _

 

Derek looked at Lathe with worry and fear in his eyes.  _ But… but I’m…. We can’t have pups… or kittens? But… he’ll… he’ll leave me if I can’t give him them…  _ “O-Okay…” His voice was small and weak as he curled up to himself.  _ He’ll leave... _

 

Lathe held him closer, his voice soft. “Honey, you two need to talk about it…. you really do… but I don’t think you have to worry about it…. I wanna know what he has to say… I can bring you down right now if you want….”  _ We can set this straight.  _

 

Derek looked at him and nodded. “P-Please…”  _ I don’t want him to leave, Alpha smells really good, and he takes care of me... _

 

Lathe nodded, standing with the omega in his arms, carrying him downstairs to where Jarvis was cooking. “Jarvis, Hun?” He waited for the werecat to turn and look at him, his voice soft but serious. “We need you to know that Derek really, really likes you, but he’s been thought to be infertile for most of his life. I don’t know how many kids you’re gonna want, but you need to know that having kids with him, if possible, is going to take a lot of time.”

 

“.....okay.”

 

Lathe looked surprised. “...what?”

 

“He told me before… I asked why he worked in neonatal, and he said it was because he couldn’t really have kids of his own…. I know that if we have pups we’d either have to have outside help or adopt… but I’m okay with that.” He looked to Derek with soft eyes. “It’s okay.” 

 

Derek looked at Jarvis with wide eyes before he smiled more and raced up to hug him around the waist.  _ He’s okay with it… Alpha’s okay with it…  _ He started to cry, relaxing in his arms.  _ I wanna keep him, does he wanna keep me?  _

 

Jarvis was stunned, smiling and picking Derek up and slowly swaying with him in his arms. “It’s okay, it’s okay…” He kissed his head, looking over to the living room. “I’m gonna set you on the couch… you can curl up with Lathe while I finish cooking, okay?” 

 

Derek shook his head and clung to him tighter. “N-No… I don’t want to let go…”  _ I don’t want you to let me go... _

 

“Okay, okay….” Jarvis jumped a bit to get him better latched on, turning to continue to cook with the omega attached to him.  _ I’ve got you.  _ He kept pressing kisses to his head and neck, humming softly.  _ I like this… ….you still smell  _ **_really_ ** _ nice…  _

 

Derek purred as he as he was kissed, moving ever so slightly to scent Jarvis.  _ Want to scent him…. he’ll keep me… he’ll keep me... _

 

Jarvis moved a bit to push their necks together, letting their scents mix, crooning softly.  _ I like you…. a lot…  _ He soon had to move Derek to get the quiche in the oven, picking him right back up when that was done and bringing him to the living room. “Breakfast is in twenty minutes….”  _ I hope that’s okay.  _

 

Derek nodded, clinging to him, even as he was set down. “I’m… I’m not pregnant…” His voice was tiny as he spoke, his nose buried in Jarvis’s neck as they sat on the couch with Lathe.  _ Lathe is still here….  _

 

“It’s okay…. it’ll happen when it’s meant to happen, okay? Let’s not worry, and let’s not try to rush it. I’m more than okay with waiting. ...I wanna get to know you first. We kinda skipped over that part.” He chuckled softly.  _ We should do that.  _

 

Derek nodded and kissed at his cheeks.  _ Maybe…  _ “Lathe…. do you think I should take him to see Mom and Dad?”  _ I wanna know if I should… or is that weird?  _

 

“....yeah. I think you should.” He smiled softly. “They’d want to meet him.” 

 

Derek looked up to to Jarvis. “Can we go see them? Today?”  _ You still have off, and so do I... _

 

“Okay, of course…. I’d love to.”  _ ….you said it a bit strangely…. but that’s okay. _ Jarvis held Derek to his chest, his ears and tail popping into existence, nuzzling him affectionately.  _...I want pets….  _

 

Derek smiled, reaching up to pet him, looking over to Lathe. “Are you gonna stay for breakfast? We can go after breakfast, we can be home before it gets dark if we do that.”  _ It’s a pretty long drive… but I can get us there... _

 

Lathe smiled softly, thinking. “I don’t wanna intrude on you two… you’re just out of your heat and rut, I don’t wanna get in the way and third wheel if you don’t want me to…” 

 

Derek flushed completely, looking at Jarvis for a moment before nodding and looking down. “I-I’m sorry…. I just…. I needed to make sure I had the right test…”  _ Who knows…. maybe…. no, I can’t... _

 

“It’s okay, it really is… and it’s okay to want to see a packmate after something like this, really, I understand.” 

 

Lathe stared for a long minute. “....if I wasn’t already bonded, I’d snatch him right up, Derek…”  _ He’s a  _ **_keeper._ **

 

Derek felt his heart ache at Lathe’s words, silent as he nodded. “I-I know…. a-a lot of people would….”  _ He’s…. he’s not mine is he? He’s got another omega somewhere…. doesn’t he…  _ He looked up as the timer on the oven buzzed.  _ Food…  _ Derek was practically drooling as his stomach growled loudly. “I’m sorry for calling you so suddenly Lathe… you probably want to go back home.”  _ I’m just a mess… _

 

“It’s okay, honey, really. I want to be here when you need me.” Lathe was surprised when Jarvis let Derek go and shifted him into the other omega’s lap, curling around him and petting him. “I’m here when you need me, honey. You’re never an inconvenience.”  _ I’m happy to be here… I wanna keep my pack safe.  _

 

Derek nodded and curled up to Lathe for only a few moments before he was called to eat. “You have pups to go home to…”  _ And an Alpha that’ll stay…. I…. What do I do? Someone’s going to take him from me… just like they did with Gavin. _ He got up, his shoulders slumped as he ambled towards the kitchen.  _ I don’t know if Lathe wants to stay… he probably wants to go to his pups… _

 

Lathe sighed, standing. “I do…. but I don’t wanna leave while you’re upset…” Lathe caught him, pulling him back into another hug, his voice only quiet enough for him. “...honey, I’ve heard about him…. and about his seriously shitty luck with mates… if you two are the real deal, you’re not gonna have anything to worry about… he’s serious.”  _ I did some googling…. just…. wow.  _

 

_ Shitty luck with mates….. right… he’s bonded a few omegas…. He’s not…. he’s not just mine.  _ His shoulders slumped more as he nodded. “I think we might just stay home today….”  _ It’d be weird for him…. he probably doesn’t want that…  _

 

“Take him to see them…. please. See how he reacts and everything… I know it’s important to you… share it with him.”  _ If he’s serious, he’ll understand….  _

 

Derek sighed but nodded, looking down at his hands and then up to Lathe. “Thank you for bringing the test… I appreciate it…” 

 

“Of course. ….let me know if you need me again honey.” Lathe pecked his forehead, going to the door. “I’ll leave you two be….”

 

“Have a good day, Lathe… and thank you.” Jarvis smiled and waved as Lathe left, turning his full attention back to Derek and setting a plate down for him.  _ …..they must be gone……  _ Jarvis paused, gently kissing his head. “....I'd love to meet them….”  _ …..I’m going to need to ask if I can bond you….. _

 

Derek nodded, his shoulders slumped as he looked to the food at the table. “Thanks for making food… um… I’m gonna call Mom and tell her we’re coming to visit….”  _ Like I always do, but you’ll think I’m crazy….  _ He picked at his food, not finding his appetite he had just moments ago. 

 

Jarvis looked a bit surprised, nodding. “Okay.”  _ ….huh. So, they’re alive? ...maybe their mind isn’t in the same place…. ….I don’t know. I shouldn’t be making assumptions.  _ He started to slowly eat, his look gentle as he noticed his mate just moving food around on his plate. “....it’s okay if you’re not hungry anymore… it’ll be there when you are.”  _ That’s okay.  _

 

Derek nodded, putting his fork down. “I’m gonna go call Mom, shower and get changed…. I um, I don’t know if you want to go home and get changed or not…”  _ You probably do, you probably won’t come back either... _

 

“If I can, that would be nice… I’d like something nice to see them in… I can meet you back here when I’m done.”  _ I’ll come right back.  _ “I wouldn’t be gone too long. Maybe forty-five minutes.”  

 

Derek nodded, looking down as he got up and started heading towards the stairs.  _ We’re going to go see them…. all of them….  _

 

Jarvis finished eating and cleaned up the kitchen a bit before he headed home to change, coming back washed, clean-shaven, and well dressed but comfortable.  _ I wanted to look nice for them…  _ He had a small bunch of flowers in hand, smiling softly when Derek opened the door again. “...are you ready?”  _ Whenever you are….  _

 

Derek looked surprised to see the flowers, but had done his makeup with a minimalist style, making sure everything was water resistant.  _ I haven’t seen them yet this year.  _ “You’ll get to meet Jason and Stan…”  _ my older brothers are there too... _

 

Jarvis smiled. “Brothers of yours?” He watched him nod. “It’ll be nice to see them… I can drive if you want?”  _ Whatever you like….  _

 

“I’ll drive…. it’s… it’s a two hour drive…”  _ I know where it is, and if, if I don’t bring you…. you’ll think I’m weird…. and you’ll figure out where they are… you probably think they’re alive…. well…. the cats pretty much are…  _

  
Jarvis nodded, letting Derek lock the door behind him, getting into passenger’s seat. “I really don’t mind the drive, it’s no problem to me. Really.”  _ I’m okay with it. It’s important.  _ Jarvis was okay with listening to the quiet radio and making occasional small talk during the drive, going silent when Derek finally turned into a cemetery.  _ …..they’re dead… wow… he called his Mom…. ….oh, my god….  _ Jarvis looked over to Derek.  _ ….it must’ve hurt really bad….  _ …. _ but this cemetery…. fuck, it looks expensive…  _


	20. Cemetery Trip

Derek drove slowly through the winding road in the cemetery, headstones getting larger and further apart from each other. He pulled over and parked the car near one of the larger memorial type headstone. “Come on, Mom knows we’re coming…” He got out of the car, feeling a sinking feeling in his chest.  _ He’ll want to leave because he thinks I’m going nuts…. _

 

Jarvis nodded and stepped out of the car, following him to the grave.  _ ….she died, what… four years ago? ….he really misses her.  _ He looked down the long row of graves, his eyes sad as he saw the same last name stretching for many graves.  _ ….wow…  _ He looked back to the headstone, pulling a flower stem out of the bouquet, leaving the pink flower on the grass, his voice soft as he looked over the stone. “....hello… I’m Jarvis, Derek’s mate… it’s…” He breathed out slowly, looking up with a faint smile. “It’s wonderful to meet you.”

 

Derek watched him as he put the flower on the grass near her head stone, feeling his face heat up as he leaned forward to press a kiss against the cold stone. “M-Mom…. I want you to meet Jarvis… he’s…. he’s a really nice guy Mom… I think he’s…. he’s-” He cut off looking over as he saw movement in the corner of his eyes, his tears continuing as he saw them.  _ Oh they’re here….  _ “Thanks for calling Stan and Jason, Mom….” Derek walked away to go and greet the pure white cats that sat perfectly on his brother’s headstones.  _ They weren’t here last time…. I was so worried…  _

 

Jarvis looked over as he saw the cats, watching Derek go over to pet them, surprised as they moved to rub against his legs and nuzzled close as they were pet.  _ ….wow….  _ Jarvis slowly walked over, taking two more stems out of the bouquet, setting yellow ones on their graves. “....hello….” Jarvis paused when he was looked at with apprehension. “....I’m sorry…” He took a few steps back, looking away.   _ ….they don’t like me….  _

 

_ Protective older brothers…..  _ “No, don’t look at him like that…. this is Jarvis… he’s nice, he wanted to come see Mom and Dad…. and everyone else too…” He sniffled as he pet them both to calm them down before picking up the one on Jason’s headstone first and kissing it’s head repeatedly.  _ I thought you two weren’t coming back…. I thought you were gone for good….  _

 

The cat meowed quietly, licking Derek’s cheek before curling up in his arms, letting themselves be pet. 

 

Jarvis slowly stepped closer, reaching out a careful hand, letting the cat sniff him.  _ ….don’t bite me, please…  _ He was surprised as the cat licked his hand, nosing him.  _ Wow.  _ He smiled, petting their head. “....it’s lovely to meet you, Jason….” He looked up, doing the same with Stan, chuckling softly as the cat climbed onto him for more pets.  _ Aw….  _ “You too, Stan….” He looked back to Derek, his smile gentle. “.....I’m so sorry if it’s rude, but… why not bring them home? I don’t want to take them away if they’re here to keep your family safe…. but I wanted to ask…”  _ Please don’t be mad… ...but they obviously mean a lot to you….  _ He felt relieved when he was forgiven, Stan licking his cheek.  _ It’s okay…. good….  _

 

Derek shook his head, looking down at Jason. “I’ve tried taking them home…. they disappear…. and then reappear here every time I come back….  they’re just overprotective brothers who don’t want the runt to cry alone….”  _ That’s what they are….  _ “I’ve only seen Mom once….”  _ The day that she died….  _

 

Jarvis slowly nodded, looking down to Stan and kissing his head. “....thank you for taking care of him….” He looked up, coming over next to him, an arm going around his middle. “....what did she look like?”  _ Tell me…. _

 

“She was…. a silvery cat… I didn’t… I didn’t realize it was her until she was already gone…. she came to visit when I was walking home before I got the call from the hospital….”  _ She was beautiful, and elegant….  _ “I haven’t seen her since, but I still call…. maybe one day I’ll be able to hold her again…”  _ Just like she held me…. _

 

Jarvis nodded quietly, kissing his head. “....I hope I get to really meet her sometime soon…. I want to tell her about what a wonderful person you’ve become… ….and I have something to ask her too….”  _ If I only get to see her once… I should ask.  _

 

“S-Something to ask?” _ What are you asking about? I don’t get it… what are you doing?  _ Derek pet Jason as he meowed and sniffed at his neck, his head immediately turning to Jarvis to give him the death glare. “No, Jason, he’s nice, really nice…. He took care of me during heat…” 

 

Jarvis gave the cat a small smile, reaching to gently pet them, relieved when they nosed him back after a moment.  _ ….okay.  _ “I know you wanna keep your brother safe. I’m okay with it taking awhile for you to trust me.”  _ Take your time.  _ He looked up as he heard rustling, quiet when he saw a cat sitting on the mother’s headstone. “....Derek? Your mom’s here…”

 

Derek’s brows furrowed before he turned to look at his Mom’s head stone and saw the exact same cat. “Mom?” His voice was weak as he settled Jason onto his head stone and carefully walked over to her and gently picked her up, starting to sob as she nuzzled into his chest.  _ She…. she actually came…. _

 

Jarvis smiled as he saw his mate hold the cat, Stan and Jason hopping to the ground and coming over to nudge him as Derek sank to the ground. He came over and knelt next to him, surprised as the cat looked at him with sparkling blue eyes. “...hello, ma’am…. it’s nice to meet you.” Jarvis was quiet as the cat moved to step into his lap, very gently holding and petting them. “.....I’m Derek’s mate at the moment… and… I think we’re true mates… ...I wanted to know if, well, when the time comes, if we’re sure…. if I could keep him?” 

 

The silver cat’s ears perked up almost instantly, looking Jarvis all over before sniffing at him. She moved all over him, hopping up to his shoulders and sniffing at his glands.  _ Smells like Derek….  _ She purred, rubbing his head against his neck and shoulders.  _ He can keep him. He’ll be a good guy…. _

 

Jarvis smiled as the cat purred, Stan and Jason immediately moving as well to nose him affectionately.  _ They like me…  _ Jarvis smiled, turning to cling to Derek, the cats moving to the space between them for pets. “I’ll take really good care of him… don’t worry…” 

 

Derek looked at him with relief, petting the three cats with his head against Jarvis’s shoulder.  _ They’re probably going to leave soon…. _ He closed his eyes for a long moment before looking up to Jarvis.  _ This is my family….I hope you don’t think it’s weird…. _

 

Jarvis smiled, kissing his cheek.  _ It’s okay…  _ “...thank you for being here… I hope this isn’t the last time I see you all.” Jarvis let his ears out, his tail slowly swaying as he softly crooned to his mate to keep them from crying.  _ It’s okay.  _

 

Derek calmed as he listened to Jarvis’ crooning and let his own tail and ears come out.  _ I hope so too… but it probably is… _ “I’ll call again before I come, okay?” 

 

Jarvis smiled as the silvery cat nodded, giving them a gentle scratch behind the ears. “Derek misses you… we’d love to see you a little more.” He smiled as the cat gave him a coy look. “Okay, okay… ….thank you.” He kissed all the cats’ heads, looking up to Derek.  _ ….If you want to go, we can go….  _

 

Derek scooped up all the cats kissing their heads with a smile. “We’ll be back…” He trailed off as he was already watching them starting to disappear. Their bodies glowed the slightest bit as they slowly became transparent.  _ They’re…. they’re leaving…? Are they leaving for good? I don’t want them to leave…. _

 

Jarvis saw how scared he was, pulling Derek close, his voice soft. “....are you leaving…. forever?” They both watched the mother shake her head, the cats fading from view.  _ ….wow.  _

 

Derek looked at his empty lap, sniffling as he curled up to Jarvis.  _ What if they don’t come back….  _ “N-Now you know wh-why I can’t take them back…” 

 

Jarvis nodded, gently rubbing his back. “It’s okay…. ….I…. thank you… for sharing that with me….” He kissed his head, thinking.  _...wow…  _

 

Derek smiled softly, kissing his cheeks. “Do you…. do you want to go home?”  _ I can let him drive while I sleep... _

 

“Yeah….. we can go… in a minute.” Jarvis stood up with him, taking apart the bouquet and leaving a flower on every grave in the row, the rest going onto the graves of the mother and brothers.  _ Thank you.  _ They went back to the car, Jarvis chuckling as Derek immediately knocked out in the passenger seat.  _ He needs the sleep…  _ Jarvis kept the radio off, thinking as he drove.  _ ….huh.  _

 

Derek slept for a good majority of the two hour trip home, gasping as he shot up in his seat, looking like he’d seen a ghost. “Jarvis, pull over….” 

 

“What?” 

 

“Now, do it now, and get in the passenger seat…”  _ I’m short enough it won’t hit me... _

 

“What the fuck are you talking about?” Jarvis looked around quickly, terrified. “Why? Should we take a different route or something?” 

 

Derek shook his head. “Just pull over and get into the passenger seat, I’m driving.”  _ I… I can’t lose him… not like that..  _ Once the two of them were pulled over Derek got out and made his way to the driver’s side. “Please, just…. just listen to me, okay?” 

  
“...I don’t….”  _ Maybe we shouldn’t even be driving…  _ Jarvis had an eerie feeling as he reluctantly got out of the car to switch places, unable to do anything but stare straight ahead as they drove.  _ ….my mate…  _ “Derek?” Jarvis looked over, his lungs forcing him to speak. “I think I love you.” He saw Derek’s face flush red before he saw terror, looking back to the road, seeing the truck in front of them being hit sideways by another car, forcing it backwards, steel rebar moving in slow motion right for the driver.


	21. The Accident

“...I don’t….”  _ Maybe we shouldn’t even be driving…  _ Jarvis had an eerie feeling as he reluctantly got out of the car to switch places, unable to do anything but stare straight ahead as they drove.  _ ….my mate…  _ “Derek?” Jarvis looked over, his lungs forcing him to speak. “I think I love you.” He saw Derek’s face flush red before he saw terror, looking back to the road, seeing the truck in front of them being hit sideways by another car, forcing it backwards, steel rebar moving in slow motion right for the driver.  _ ….oh my god.  _ Jarvis was silent as it pierced the windshield and went right through Derek’s shoulder, exactly where Jarvis’ heart would be.  _ ….oh my god, my mate…  _ Jarvis slammed into his airbag, everything moving slowly until they were at a dead stop, looking over to Derek in silence, seeing the steel rod left in his shoulder, pinning the omega to his seat, a scream of terror forcing itself out of his lungs.  **_DEREK._ ** Jarvis began to move, unbuckling and moving half into his lap, fumbling for his phone.  _ He needs help, he needs help  _ **_now._ ** Jarvis began to panic, trying hard to regain his composure, pressing desperate kisses all over his face as he reached to grasp his hand.  _ Don’t die…. please don’t die….  _

 

“Jarvis…. you need to get out of the car… get out of the car…. the semi that we passed earlier, his breaks are going to fail and he’s going to crush the passenger side… you need to get out… now… please, I’ll be okay…”  _ I got impaled, fuck I can’t feel my fingers….  _

 

“....I love you.” Jarvis hurried to get out of the car, sprinting for the division in the highway near the left lanes, hopping the divider and getting down near the ground, the grass feeling strangely soft.  _ ….is he…  _ He looked right, seeing the semi, stunned as it showed no sign of stopping.  _ Oh my god….  _ He screamed in terror as it crashed into the wreck, their car tearing in half like wet paper, the empty half spinning and hitting the divider not ten feet away. He could see his mate through the open piece as it skidded to a stop in the leftmost lane, his eyes wide as he saw him.  _ …..oh my god, my baby…  _ He heard another shriek, his emotion shutting off as he saw a fire in front of him.  **_Fire. Bad._ ** He ran for the road, seeing all of the shrapnel and debris scattered around, getting a badly scraped fire extinguisher off the ground, yanking on the pin.  _ Please work…  _ He worked quickly when he realized it still did, putting out the fire of his own car before running to the rest of the wreck.  _ Come on…  _ “Is anyone in there?? Can you hear me?” 

 

A baby was crying from the side of the road, his car seat having been ejected from the van that got hit first.  _ Momma…..  _  He was covered in small scrapes from the glass he went through but other than that looked unharmed. 

 

Jarvis looked inside, seeing a dead woman, reaching for them, taking their pulse.  _ Dead.  _ He pulled out his phone, calling the police, suddenly looking over as he heard wailing.  _ Oh no, a baby?!  _ He ran to the sound, finding a baby in their carrier in the grass, the child only having a couple cuts.  _ They must’ve shot out the windshield….  _ Jarvis knelt down, cooing to the baby as he picked them up and carried them to a safer spot.  _ My mate.  _ He ran back up, hearing the operator on the other end, trying to keep calm and explain everything while holding his mate’s hand.  _ My mate…. I love you….. please don’t die…..  _

 

Derek had been holding onto the steel rod through his shoulder, trying to limit the bleeding, looking to him and smiling softly. “Y-You would’ve died… It would’ve gone through…. through your heart…”  _ fuck it hurts…  _ He whimpered, hearing sirens car in the distance blaring. “The… the others….”  _ Are they….? _

 

“There’s a little baby that’s alive, the mom is gone, I think the truck driver bolted… it’s okay, just focus on me, okay? Don’t focus on the pain… and…” Jarvis moved to softly kiss him for a moment. “....thank you for taking that for me….”  _ Holy fuck….  _

 

Derek looked confused, but nodded. “Which… which truck driver? The one from…. Fuck, it hurts…. from the the pick up… or the-the one that we hit? Or was it… the runaway semi?”  _ Where is everyone? More people were supposed to survive this?  _

 

“The pick-up is… is gone… the semi… is pulled over a ways up….. the sedan that hit the truck in front of us had the Mom and the baby in it….”  _ Fuck….  _

 

Derek nodded, putting a bloody hand against his cheek. “They’re gonna have to cut the car more to get me out… the baby… where’s the baby?”  _ Bring it here, I need to see how bad it is... _

 

“They’re in the divider, they’re fine, just a few scratches….”  _ Really.  _ Jarvis kissed his cheek, not caring about the blood. “You’re gonna be okay….. you really are.”  _ I promise.  _

 

Derek shook his head, whimpering as he tried to move his fingers on his left hand. “I can’t move them… it hit a nerve…. Jarvis you need to bring me the baby, I need to make sure it's okay… it could be going into shock right now…”  _ I need to make sure the baby is okay... _

 

Jarvis immediately nodded, running to get to baby, watching them blink up at him with big, owlish eyes. “Hi honey… it’s okay, honey….” He let them latch onto his finger, coming back to show Derek. “They’re fine, see? They’re confused but they’re fine.” 

 

“Check his eyes…. are they…. are they following your finger?”  _ Fuck my head is getting heavy…. blood loss.  _ “If I pass out… my Med ID is in my pocket on my left side… it’s got all my information and proxies on it….”  _ I don’t think I can stay awake much longer…  _

 

Jarvis did as he said, watching the eyes following his finger. “He’s fine… come on, they’re coming, stay awake for me…” He pressed his wrist to his neck, the action drawing out some of the pain. “It’s gonna be okay… come on, you can do this…” 

 

Derek looked at him with weak eyes that were slowly closing. “I….. I l-love you J-Jar……” He trailed off as his eyes started to close, firefighters racing towards them and looking over Jarvis and the baby first.  _ They’re okay…. thank god…. _

 

Jarvis flushed, his head spinning, letting himself be guided to the back of an ambulance, stunned when he saw Derek loaded in as well, going white.  _ Oh my god…  _ Jarvis was completely still as they drove, beginning to cry.  _ My mate….  _

 

The paramedic looked at Jarvis as he held the child. “Your child?”  _ I have no idea….  _ He had his hands on the steel rod that was cut to a manageable length.  _ Have to keep it steady… he’s breathing which is good... _

 

“N-No… the woman in the sedan, she-she’s dead… she’s the Mom, I think…. h-his medical card is in h-his front le-left pocket….” Jarvis held the baby close, rubbing their back.  _ I’m sorry about Mama….  _

 

The medic nodded, moving to get out the medical information. “Luke, call it in, the hospital needs to get a bag of O- for him, he’s gonna need it. Dr. Derek Greger… age 327…. 5’6” and 132lbs…. okay, this gives us a lot of information that we needed…” The man kept the rod stable in his shoulder as they got to the nearest hospital which was Trost General, the same where Derek worked.

 

Jarvis watched as Derek was unloaded and rolled away, letting himself be guided away from his mate. “I-I’ll see h-him soon, right?”

 

“Who, sir?”

 

“M-My mate, you just took m-my mate….”

 

“He’s going into surgery to remove the rod from his shoulder…. I’m going to be taking the baby to get a full examination as well…”  _ He needs it…. _

 

Jarvis felt his heart ache as he handed over the baby.  _ …...baby….  _ “I-If… if they don’t have any family…. t-tell m-me, okay?”  _ Baby…  _

 

The man nodded before handing the baby off to a nurse, looking to the other nurse and pointing to Jarvis. “He needs to get evaluated as well… he’s doing well, but just a precaution…”  _ Everyone in that needs to be checked out… _

 

Jarvis was distressed as he was led along, on autopilot as he was checked out.  _ I wanna see my mate….  _ Jarvis was soon led down a long hall, looking up and seeing a familiar face. He tried to move faster, stumbling into their arms.  _ Help…  _

 

Lathe heaved him upright, carrying him to the lobby. “It’s okay, honey, it’s okay…. come here…” Lathe soon sat them down on a bench, rubbing Jarvis’ back as he cried.  _ It’s okay.  _

 

It wasn’t long before a nurse came back with the baby, in new clothes and in a blanket with a teddy bear. “We looked into the woman’s records and found her to be a single mom…. would you like to hold him for a bit?”  _ You came in with him and didn’t want to let him go... _

 

“Please….” Jarvis took the tiny baby, holding them to his chest, kissing their head. “.....I’m sorry about Mommy….”  _ I’m sorry…..  _ Jarvis started crying even more, silently, keeping the baby close and gently playing with them with the little bear.  _...you didn’t deserve to lose Mom…. ...you deserve to be happy….  _

 

The baby grabbed at Jarvis’s  fingers, mouthing at them, and giggling as he played with the bear. _Papa!_ _Mama?_

 

Jarvis smiled, kissing the baby’s head, his voice quiet and broken as he spoke. “....I wanna keep them….”  _ ….but….  _ “....wh-what if Derek doesn’t want th-them…?”

 

Lathe sighed, gently rubbing his back. “You two are gonna have to figure that out when Derek gets out of surgery…. ...but if you really want to keep them, that’s a really big thing… ….you probably won’t be able to work the same way you do now. One of you would have to take care of them. Babies are a really big deal- it’s a lot of work.”

 

“I know, but I just…. look at them….” Jarvis smiled as he gently brushed their wispy black hair off of their forehead.  _ So soft…  _ “.....they’re so cute…. their hair is so soft and their almond eyes are so cute and I just….. I wanna keep them….”  _ My baby….  _

 

The baby babbled, reaching for Jarvis’s face to get his nose.  _ Papa! Papa nice!  _ He struggled to talk, looking around with his wide eyes, looking at his hand when he touched Jarvis’s blood covered cheek.  _ Papa?  _

 

Jarvis realized he had blood on his face, panicking, grateful when Lathe swooped in and gently wiped up the specks of red from the toddler’s hand and then his face. “Thank you….” He looked back to the baby, smiling. “It’s okay, honey…. Papa’s okay….”  _ …..I love you….  _

 

The baby giggled and pawed at his nose. “M-Maaa….” He struggled with his words, trying to look around for Derek, remembering that Jarvis brought him to him before. _ Mama? _

 

“.....honey…. Mama isn’t here right now…. they’ll be back sometime soon, okay?”  _ I can’t believe I have to lie to a baby….  _

 

“Baaaah… maaabaaaha.” He babbled, giggling, sneezing after a moment and switching to a bright blue scaly dragon roughly the same size as his baby form. He trilled happily, crawling up what part of Jarvis’s arm that he could.  _ Papa... _

 

Jarvis was stunned, soon smiling wider, bringing the dragon into his lap. “Honey…. look at how pretty you are….”  _ Oh my god, so cute…  _ The alpha beamed, his own ears popping into existence, his tail popping out as well, swaying happily.  _ My baby is a Drake…. my baby….  _

 

The small dragon was easily distracted by the swaying appendage, trying to bat at it.  _ Play! Play time! _

 

Jarvis chuckled as the baby batted at his long tail, happy to play with them, teasing them and letting them catch and nibble on it before gently tugging it back for more.  _ They’re so damn cute…..  _

 

The small hatchling was easily occupied by Jarvis’s tail and the teddy bear he was given, and eventually a bottle as the surgery took quite a bit.  _ Mama?  _ He looked up as a nurse came in to take them to where Derek was waking up.  _ Mama?  _

 

Jarvis smiled when they were summoned, carrying the little hatchling and nuzzling them on their walk, swaying a bit with them in his arms.  _ Mine….  _ He was a bit nervous when they were led into a small room with Derek inside, Jarvis smiling to him. “....hi…. how’re you feeling?” Jarvis was surprised as the little dragon immediately began to squirm like mad. 

 

Derek smiled shifting as much as he could to sit up a bit more. “I’m…. I’m feeling better, they’re gonna keep me for observation overnight…. are you okay?”  _ You’re okay… right?  _

 

The baby dragon squirmed and whined, finally making it out of Jarvis’ arms and clambering up to Derek, nosing him. “....M-Ma… Ma!” They looked excited, trilling as they were pet. 

 

“I’m fine, I’m fine… uhm… that’s the baby from the crash… their mom was single…. and… they’ve already imprinted on me as Papa, and you’re apparently Mom now… ….I….. I want to keep them….” He looked to him with pleading eyes.  _ Can we? _

 

Derek nodded, petting them to make them trill more. “Drakes… Drakes imprint… on who they see, and they know when that person passes on, and goes to imprint on another person…”  _ He imprinted on us…. we have a child?  _

 

Jarvis slowly nodded, smiling as the dragon squirmed. 

 

The hatchling trilled as they were pet, squirming around before they gave up and laid on Derek’s chest, falling asleep.  _ Nap…  _

 

Jarvis chuckled quietly, looking up to Derek. “....it likes us….” 

 

Derek nodded, smiling softly and petting him gently, struggling to move his fingers on his left hand. “Lathe… my hand…”  _ You can help me move them… and now that I have a child I’m gonna need to stay home from work…. shit….. _

 

Lathe nodded, coming over and helping him move his fingers, smiling when he was able to keep up. “...you know… a kid is a lot of work… ….you can either have someone watch them while you’re gone to work, or at least one schedule is gonna really change…” 

 

“It should be mine…” Jarvis looked over the hatchling. “....after all that shit that just happened…. ….you know, they train you to be prepared for some really fucked-up situations…. but…. but that was the most scared I’ve ever been… and the most aware of my own mortality that I’ve ever been…. ...I don’t know if I could go back to work like that….”  _ Nope, nope, fuck that.  _

 

“Jarvis….. that…. that accident was going to happen whether it was you or me driving… you shouldn’t need to give up your job for me….”

 

“That was fucking terrifying… and you made us switch places and keep driving so that I wouldn’t die… but…. why couldn’t we have just taken a different route? I just, I don’t understand…”  _ I really don’t…  _

 

“If we had taken a different route… we both may have died, in completely different ways that I couldn’t see… if you kept driving, the rod would’ve gone through your heart.” Derek was shaking as his scent soured.  _ We barely know each other…. He doesn’t know anything about me…. _

 

Jarvis slowly nodded, looking down. “....I don’t… I don’t think I can go back to work for a while….”  _ Fucking hell, that’s creepy….  _ Jarvis moved to come closer, gently kissing Derek’s head. “It’s okay, honey….. ….look, I know we know nothing about each other…. but I’d want to keep them either way…. I just…. I really need time after this…”  _ Just…. wow.  _

 

Derek nodded, looking to his left hand. “They said I’ll have problems moving it…. and that I’m going to need rehab to use it properly…. so I’m not allowed to work… guess I’ll keep this one at home then…”  _ Oh god, I might have to fire proof the house... _

 

“If you don’t want to have to worry about him burning the place down, I can have him…” They looked at each other, thinking. “.......well, uhm… …..I don’t know if you’d want to live together or not….”  _ Fucking hell, this is going fast…  _

 

Derek’s face completely flushed as he looked down at the Drake. “I think I can manage him…..”  _ I should be okay, he seems like he’ll be fine... _

 

“Okay…. uhm….”  _ I wanna see him…..  _ “......” Jarvis caught himself, looking down.  _ I can’t just ask to live with you, that’s weird….  _

 

“I uhm….I’m starting to grow out of my house…. if… if you want to look for one together?”  _ I need a house closer to the hospital... _

 

Jarvis looked up, his interest piqued.  _ ….a new house?  _ “.....I’d… I’d really like that….”  _ ….maybe I’ll actually get to do all the gardening I want….  _ Jarvis’ ears gave away his excitement, flicking around everywhere. “That would be really nice…” He kissed his mate’s nose, red.  _ …..wow…. _

 

Derek purred as he was kissed, the heart monitor racing as Jarvis held onto him.  _ I’d really really like that…  _ “Are you…. Are you gonna take him home?”  _  I don’t know if you will or not... _

 

“I can, yeah… I’ll make sure he’s safe for the night. When you’re free to go, if you want, you can stay with me for a while… until we get somewhere better, you know…”

 

Derek nodded and smiled softly, groaning as a nurse came in to poke and prod at him.  _ I’m not gonna be able to sleep much, I can tell…  _

 

Jarvis kissed his head one more time before he gently scooped the Drake off of his chest, watching them wake up. “Say bye to Mama for now, honey… we’ll see them again in the morning.” 

 

The hatchling squeaked, flapping his leathery wings in an attempt to escape.  _ Mama! Want mama!  _

 

Jarvis smiled, keeping a gentle hold on them, letting them move to lick their mom’s cheek, Derek pecking their head. “Okay honey, let’s go home, okay? You need food and sleep…”  _ I’ll take care of you.  _

 

The hatchling whined for a moment before he curled up to Jarvis’s chest.  _ Papa... _

 

Jarvis smiled, keeping them close. “I’ll be here in the morning, Hun.” Jarvis soon left with the tiny hatchling, going to the front desk. “....I want to take him home….”  _ Let me adopt him…. please….  _

 

“Is that the baby that came in with you?” When the lady at the desk received a nod, she nodded as well. “He’s been discharged, and we have all your information if something problematic arises.”  _ But it shouldn’t…. _

 

“.....wait, so…. adoption papers, any forms, anything? ….are you just gonna let me walk out of here with a baby?” 

 

“They’re being sent to your address and you have 90 days to fill them out before CPS goes to take the child…. have a good day Mr. Slate.” 

  
“Oh, okay. Thank you.” Jarvis turned to leave, swaying with the child in his arms, very careful as he went.  _ I need baby stuff.  _ “We’re gonna go on a little adventure, honey.”


	22. Little Hatchling Adventures

Jarvis turned to leave, swaying with the child in his arms, very careful as he went.  _ I need baby stuff.  _ “We’re gonna go on a little adventure, honey.” He pulled out his phone, getting them an Uber to Derek’s to pick up his truck.  _ I'll need the space in the back.  _ He hopped in with the napping dragon, settling him in the passenger seat, turning on the seat warmer and grabbing a blanket from the back, very carefully tucking him in and buckling him in. “We’re gonna get you a proper carrier, and a high chair, and clothes, and all sorts of stuff, honey.”  _ Babies need stuff.  _ He drove very carefully to the closest superstore, getting out and finding a cart immediately, setting the blanket down folded over a few times first before settling the hatchling in the child’s spot in the cart. “Okay, you’ll be comfy there.” He gently pet them to coax them back to sleep, starting the meander to the baby aisle.  _ I hope they’ll just sleep…  _

 

The hatchling shifted, slowly waking up with the added movement of the cart.  _ Papa?  _ He looked up, confused to see the aisle stacked high with jars and cans.  _ What? _ He flapped his wings a bit as he sat up, looking up at Jarvis innocently.

 

Jarvis smiled softly, looking to the hatchling. “We’re out shopping, honey. This is all big-person food. We’re gonna buy formula and stuff for you soon too, don’t worry.” He gently pet their head, adding a few cans of fruit to the cart.  _ Fruit….  _

 

The hatchling seemed to perk up as he saw a jar with dragon fruit inside of it.  _ Fruit! Fruit fruit!  _ He jumped up in the area he was in, flapping his wings excitedly and screeching softly.  _ Fruit! _

 

“This one?” Jarvis picked up a jar, seeing him get excited. “How about we get you a  **real** dragon fruit?”  _ That’ll taste better- better for you too.  _ He put back the jar, kissing his head as they immediately headed for the produce section, getting him the real deal and putting a price sticker on it. “You get a dragon fruit.”  _...huh. I wonder why it’s called that? I’ll look it up later.  _

 

The hatchling purred happily, curling up around the dragon fruit and holding it with his tail securely.  _ Mine!  _

 

Jarvis smiled, chuckling as he continued on with shopping, getting him a new baby carrier and moving his little nest into it for the ride, soon going up to the checkout with a full cart.  _ Good thing everything is so cheap here.  _ He pet the little dragon as everything was scanned and bagged, reaching for the dragonfruit. “Honey, the lady has to scan the fruit-” He winced when he was met with a tiny wail. “It’s okay honey, please, she just has to scan it, you’ll get it right back, Hun...”

 

The hatchling whined, shaking his head and curling tightly around the fruit.  _ Mine! No has!  _

 

Jarvis sighed, thinking. “Whelp, here goes.” Jarvis picked up the entire unit, baby and fruit, so that she could scan it, immediately setting them back in their nest. “There. That wasn’t so bad now, was it?” 

 

The hatchling huffed, happily curled up around his fruit.  _ Like fruit, want fruit… _ He tried to bite into the fruit, but unable to get through the tough rind with his small teeth. 

 

Jarvis chuckled, petting their head. “You can have some when you get home, honey.”  _ I’ll cut you a piece.  _ He accepted his long receipt, making sure he had everything before leaving for the truck, settling the hatchling into the front seat first before unloading everything.  _ Stuff.  _

 

The hatchling fell asleep where he was, still completely curled up, and stayed asleep as he was driven home.  _ Tired… Mine… my fruit... _

 

Jarvis soon carried the hatchling inside in his carrier, setting him on the counter and gently taking the fruit, smiling when the dragon held on. “Honey, let me cut it up for you…”  _ I’ll get you fruit.  _

 

The small drake refused, holding onto his fruit with his long tail.  _ Mine… no has…  _

 

Jarvis sighed, picking up the fruit, the hatchling still attached. “Honey, I need to cut it up for you, it’ll be right here…” He set it on a chopping board, very gently coaxing them off and letting them watch from a little bit away, cutting it in half and carving out a small piece, giving it to them to nibble.  _ Have fruit.  _ He decided to google it while he got the chance, thinking.  _ Let’s see… giving dragons dragon fruit….. ….oh. Oh wow. Thank fuck I only gave him a little piece.  _ He looked up, putting the rest in a tightly-sealed baggie.  _ Nope, no more.  _

 

The hatchling had already eaten the entire thing and was laid out on the counter purring and trilling happily.  _ Feel warm, like feel warm.  _ He was really loopy as he heard running water, swaying as he crawled to the sink.  _ Water!  _

 

Jarvis rinsed out the sink, letting warm water run and reaching to set them inside, getting the sprayer out and letting water slowly flow out, going to give them a bath. “Here we go, honey, bath time….” He smiled as they splashed around in the quarter inch of water that pooled in the basin, chuckling as they flapped their wings a bit.  _ Aw….  _

 

_ Water!!  _ The hatchling happily splashed around, confused as he was handled and massaged, soon covered in suds.  _ What stuff?  _ He licked at it, immediately retching as he bristled and tried to run from Jarvis’s hands.  _ No like! It bad! _

 

“Honey! Honey, come back, you need to be washed…. I know the soap tastes bad, but you need to get washed, honey…” He kissed his head, very gentle as he kept washing him, soon rinsing him off and reaching for one of the strawberries they’d bought as a reward.  _ Good dragon…  _

 

_ Fruit? _ The hatchling paused, looking up to Jarvis for a moment before snatching the strawberry from him.  _ Papa has good fruit.  _ He tore the berry apart with his small jaws and looked around for more.  _ Like fruit, like water… Want here... _

 

Jarvis smiled, kissing his head and draining the sink, setting another big strawberry down for him. “I’m gonna go get you a nest, okay?”  _ He likes the water… I’ll get him water.  _ Jarvis went to start the fireplace, the fire making the big ledge of bricks around it warm. He went hunting upstairs, dumping out some rags from an aluminum dish with handles, bringing it downstairs and filling it with water.  _ Water.  _ He set it down in front of the fireplace to stay warm, bundling up a blanket to make a nest closeby.  _ Here… he has water and he’ll be warm.  _ He went to fetch the tiny hatchling, picking him and the fruit up and soon setting him in the dish.  _ It’s only water. _

 

The hatchling purred as he was set in the warmed water, curling up with his head and tail leaning over the sides and resting on the handles. _ Papa gave me water! And it’s warm!  _ He trilled happily, looking around at his strange surroundings with curiosity.  _ Where me?  _

 

Jarvis smiled, getting a handkerchief from a jacket pocket and tying it to the handle to make a better pillow. “Welcome home, honey… this is where I live. This is the living room. It has a TV, and a small nest, and a couch and stuff. I’m gonna bring down more nesting stuff and sleep nearby, okay?”  _ I’ll do that.  _

 

_ Papa sleep in nest? _ He started to get up, shaking himself off, water drying off of him rather well.  _ Papa sleep in nest with me?  _

 

“You wanna sleep together? Okay. Let Papa go get pajamas on, okay?”  _ I need those… I ate at the hospital, I’m fine….  _ He stood to leave, setting the dragon in their own nest. “I’ll be right back, honey.” He went upstairs, soon coming back down in a black and gold silk kimono and carrying piles of fabric, starting to rearrange the nest he had.  _ …..it’s beautiful…  _ “Come here, honey….” He laid down in the nest, reaching for the hatchling and chuckling as they looked at him before meandering off, settling in. “Papa’s right here if you need anything, okay?”  _ It’ll be okay.  _

 

The hatchling looked at his little nest by the fire, purring and clambering towards the ledge to sit and watch the flames, his scales slowly turning from a light blue to a rich red.  _ Warm! I like warm... _

 

Jarvis watched the hatchling with sleepy eyes, his eyes widening as he watched them turn red.  _ What the fuck?!  _ He quickly pulled out his phone, quickly googling.  _ Why is my baby changing color? _

 

_ Warm!  _ Once the hatchling was fully red, he jumped into the fire, trilling happily.  _ Warm! Like warm…  _

 

Jarvis panicked, looking around and quickly trying to read the article, stunned.  _ …..he can do water  _ **_and_ ** _ fire? Really?!  _ He looked up as the hatchling nosed around the hot ash, sighing in relief as they purred.  _ Oh lord…  _ He smiled softly, reaching for the small broom and sweeping the ashes back into the pile, watching the dragon trot out of the pile. “Water first, honey.” He made sure they hopped into the little pool and rinsed off first, watching them immediately turn blue before hopping back into the nest.  _ Oh wow….  _ He gently pet the warm dragon, a proud smile on his face. “You’re really special, honey….” 

 

The hatchling tilted his head to the side, starting to turn solid matte black.  _ Nappy time!  _ He simply crawled off of Jarvis and disappeared into the dark around the room.  _ Nappy time!  _

 

_ ….oh my god, I lost my baby.  _ “Honey? Come back here, honey.” Jarvis started to look for him, his worry quickly growing. “Honey, Papa needs you here, come back here… I’ll give you more fruit if you come here…” He looked scared, hurrying to the kitchen and soon coming back with a tiny piece of dragon fruit. “Come here, honey… I have a little treat for you…”  _ Where the hell could you have gone?! _

 

_ Treat?  _ He looked up from where he was climbing on the couch, spreading his wings out and gliding to Jarvis’s legs and crawling up his body, slowly forming into his matte black self. He crawled up his arm to take the piece of dragonfruit.  _ Treat! _

 

Jarvis jumped a bit when he was landed on, holding onto him as he ate the fruit, relieved and kissing his head. “Stay over here with me so I know where you are, okay honey?” He gently pet him, keeping the dragon in his lap.  _ ….dragons… are just fire kitties…. ….wow.  _

 

Once he finished eating the piece he had he started sniffing for more.  _ Want more... _

 

Jarvis smiled as the dragon kept trying to worm his way out of his lap, trying to placate them. “I don’t have any more fruit for you, honey… I’m sorry. It’s naptime, honey… you need to sleep…”  _ Come on, honey, settle down a bit... _

 

The hatchling whined but seemed to nod, curling up in Jarvis’s lap and settling himself down.  _ Nap time. _

 

Jarvis smiled and moved the dragon up to his chest, kissing their head and sighing, relaxing into his nest.  _ I have a real nest now…  _ Jarvis knocked out, waking up almost at noon, blinking awake.  _ ….baby.  _ He sat up, quickly looking around. “Honey?!”  _ Where are you?! _

  
The hatchling was hidden well, looking over the living room from where he’d crawled up to the kitchen cabinet, eating the last bit of dragon fruit.  _ It taste nice! I like!  _ He purred happily as he curled up to the skin of the fruit, the contents of the cabinet all strewn on the floor.  _ I sleepy... _


	23. One of Twelve

_ I feel like shit….  _ “I’m not pregnant, Levi, for the last time!” Eren snapped at the overbearing vampire before he started to throw up into the porcelain throne.  _ Fuck, it hurts…  _ He sat back against the cool tile wall, looking over to him with tired eyes. “Can you just get anti-nausea medication from Dad? My heat was two weeks ago… I don’t get morning sickness until well into my second trimester…”  _ I’m sick…  _

 

Levi still looked worried, nodding. “I’ll go talk to him, alright…” Levi left the doorway and quickly put on shoes, heading next door.  _ I just… I’m so sure he is….  _

 

Lathe soon enough set his medic bag on the floor of the bathroom, managing to get Eren to look up from the toilet long enough to shine a light in his eyes.  _ His reaction time is fine…  _ Lathe looked him over for a few minutes, confusing Eren with the quick but thorough exam, soon putting away his stethoscope. “So, Eren.”

 

“What?”

 

“I’m not giving you anti-nausea medicine.” 

 

“Why not?” Eren groaned as he curled up a bit, setting his head on his knees and rubbing his temples.  _ I’m fucking sick…  _

 

“Eren, you’re not sick.” Lathe held up his hands as Eren flatly glared at him. “You’re throwing up, obviously, but there’s nothing wrong with you. You’re fine. So, even if you don’t believe it, the fact that a chance exists for you to be pregnant makes me want to keep you away from all medication. Now, I know-”

 

“No! There is  **no** fucking  **way** that this is morning sickness! I had my heat two  **weeks** ago! All my other litters I only get morning sickness after 5  **months** ! Like  **hell** I’m not sick!” Eren shouted at him, his fuse shortening with every turn of his stomach.  _ Fuck I’m gonna be sick again…  _

 

“Honey, your second-last heat was five months ago.” Lathe’s voice was soft, looking at him, trying not to make him even angrier. “I don’t know why you’d have another heat if you were pregnant, but you did. But I  **really** don’t feel comfortable giving you any meds with the possibility.”  _ Nope, fuck that.  _

 

Eren shook his head. “I’m not pregnant, I can’t be… I had my heat two weeks ago, and everything went fine… it was the normal length and achiness… Nothing was different… I couldn’t have been pregnant…”  _ why do you keep insisting I am? _

 

“Eren, you’re perfectly healthy… nothing weird with the lungs, with your ears, your eyes, your temperature… you don’t have a fever or anything weird…. you haven’t eaten anything in hours… your second-last heat being when it was relative to when you’d have the morning sickness… honey, it’s a chance…. if I were you,  I'd really go get a checkup and see if it was true…”  _ An ultrasound or an X-ray is really the only way to tell with vampire pups…  _

 

Eren whined, his ears popping into existence to pin against his head.  _ I don’t wanna go to the doctors…  _ “Ugh… fine….Levi, can you call my GP?”  _ I just wanna get this over with, I can’t be pregnant, I want to be able to eat something and go to sleep... _

 

Lathe heard Levi hum softly and pad away, his own ears popping into existence, going to gently hug Eren close.  _ Mine.  _ “I’m sorry if you’d rather not be at the moment, but if it’s just because you feel shitty right now, and rightfully so, I promise in a little while you’re going to be a lot happier about it.”  _ I promise.  _

 

“Dad… we’ve had 5 litters in 6 years…. we’re…. we don’t need more kids…”  _ I’m running out of energy, and time… My oldest litter is moving out but the youngest just started schooling... _

 

“Honey…” Lathe started to look scared, holding him closer. “I-If you don’t want them, I’ll take them… I know it’s hard to carry vampire pups but if it’s been five months you can’t just… get rid of them…”  _ Please don’t…  _ “If you and Levi talk and you really don’t want to keep them, let me have them… I want them to be okay….”  _ Pups….  _

 

Eren’s ears drooped more, looking away in shame. “Levi’ll want to keep them if we have any.”  _ I’m not sure I want to keep them at all…. he’s gonna want them all though….  _ He looked down at his abdomen touching it gently, not even noticing the slight bump he usually had by then. 

 

“....honey, your opinion matters a lot here…. you’re the one doing most of the work…. but Levi needs to be heard too… you two really need to talk about this… but… if that’s really how both of you feel, and you want to compromise, I’m here… the pups can live, and they’re not your problem, but Levi can see them whenever he needs….”  _ And I want more pups…. I can’t have them forever…  _

 

“That wouldn’t be fair for them…”  _ For the pups or for Levi…. I’ll just have to deal with it… so much for… forget it, who am I kidding? This is just a sign that I’d be horrible at it and I have something better to do.  _ Eren sighed quietly as he leaned his head against Lathe’s shoulder, taking in his calming and protective scent, slowly relaxing.

 

“....I know…”  _ But… they’re already tiny little lives….  _ Lathe gently rubbed his back, thinking silently.  _ …..I…. Pups are so much fucking work…. but… they’re gifts…. and even if you don’t want them… right now, they’re loved….  _

 

Eren sighed and nodded, closing his eyes as the exhaustion that'd been building caught up the him.  _ Tired… and I need to go to a GP. _

 

Lathe felt Eren go limp, carefully picking him up and moving them to the nest, setting him down and shifting, curling protectively around his pup, gently nosing their hair.  _ ….you’re always going to be my little pup….  _

 

Eren’s eyes cracked open as he was jostled ever so slightly a few hours later, hearing the car door open and feeling himself being lowered into the seat, finally waking up.  _ Huh? What happening?  _ “L-Levi?”  _ What’s going on? Why are you putting me in the car?  _

 

“It’s okay Eren, you have an appointment in twenty minutes. They had a cancellation so they’re fitting you in. It’s okay. ….do you want Dad to come with?” Levi looked back to Lathe, still in his wolf form, ears pinned flat against his head.  _ He’s really worried….  _

 

_ Dad?.... no….  _ Eren shook his head as he was settled into the passenger seat. He looked up as he saw a pup stand by Lathe’s paws, whining and pawing at the large wolf.  _ Dad’ll watch the kids… they’ll all be okay…. _

 

Lathe whined softly but nodded, looking down and gently nosing the small pup, picking them up by the scruff of the neck and walking back into the house.  _ I’ll watch the pups…. I’ll keep them safe…. _

 

“Thanks, Dad….” Levi shut the door and went to get into the driver’s seat, starting the drive, the radio quietly playing in the otherwise silent cabin.  _ ….I don’t… I don’t know if he actually will want them….  _

 

Eren closed his eyes, trying to keep himself from becoming nauseous and vomiting in the car.  _ I do not want to do that… no thank you… _ He was quiet for the entire ride there, looking over for Levi to come pick him up once they got there.  _ I don’t wanna walk... _

 

Levi chuckled as Eren gave him puppy eyes, reaching up to lift Eren out of the car, closing the door and walking inside.  _ I’ve got you.  _ They were soon settled in the waiting room, Levi reaching to gently hold Eren’s hand.  _...I love you…  _

 

_ He’ll want to keep however many we have if I’m pregnant… _ Eren sighed quietly, leaning into his shoulder to try and close his eyes, letting him hold his hand. _ I don’t want more kids… fuck, I need to get birth control…. but he doesn’t want me to go on birth control... _

 

Levi felt Eren fall asleep on his shoulder, lookin up as the nurse called Eren, moving to gently scoop him up off his chair, giving the woman a soft look. “He’s really tired and didn’t feel like walking.” He was relieved as the woman nodded and smiled, following her and gently nudging Eren awake with his nose while they walked.  _ It’s okay.  _

 

Eren slowly let his eyes crack open as he was walked back to a room, which almost looked more like a hospital room than a doctor’s office.  _ Levi must’ve told them….  _

 

“Alright, so we’ll try and ultrasound first, and then move on to X-ray, okay?” The nurse was really cheerful as she carefully pulled up Eren’s shirt and lathered it with the cold gel.  _ Alright, let’s see if we can see anything at all... _

 

Levi stood next to the bed Eren was laid on, holding onto him and feeling his mate squeezing his hand tightly, squeezing right back.  _ I love you.  _ Levi and Eren both watched the screen, not seeing much.  _ ….huh. Nothing? _

 

Eren sighed in relief when the ultrasound came up blank.  _ Nothing… I’m not pregnant, I’m just sick… _ …  _ wait, what? _

 

“I’m either looking at your uterine lining or I’m looking at a very thick placenta that doesn’t wanna be looked through… we’ll be taking you to the X-ray room to make sure you are in fact not pregnant before we issue you any medications….”

 

Levi nodded, worried at how relieved Eren had looked.  _ ….he really doesn’t want more pups…. I mean, I know they’re so much work, but… ...but they’re pups….  _

 

Eren watched as the nurse cleaned up his abdomen before letting her pull his shirt down.  _ I don’t want pups…. I can’t be pregnant, I just had my heat two weeks ago... _

 

Levi reached up to gently pet Eren behind his fluffy ears, trying to calm him down as they pinned down.  _ It’s okay… it’s gonna be okay… no matter what….  _

 

Eren kept his ears pinned, shaking his head. “It’s not okay Levi…. we… we don’t need more kids right now…”  _ We have a full house as it is…  _ He could feel his face heat up and tears starting to burn in his eyes.  _ I can’t do this… I don’t want more... _

 

“Eren, we…. even if we can’t keep them, they should get the chance to live… it’ll be hard, but we don’t have to keep them… there are a lot of omegas who have so much trouble having kids, I’m sure someone would want to have them….”  _ I know they could find a good home somewhere…  _

 

_ You’re just saying that to try and make me feel better about it… you know that I don't want pups…  _ Eren sighed, letting the tears roll as he tried to calm down and waited for the X-Ray room to open to get called down.  _ I’m gonna have to shift to my wolf form to get examined…  _

 

Levi held onto him, trying to dry his tears, quietly crooning to him.  _ It’s okay…. it’s okay…  _ He looked up as they were called down, picking Eren up one more time. “You can shift when we get there…” 

 

Eren nodded and waited anxiously as they were brought down to the X-ray room, shifting once he was set down and following the instructions he was given to lay down on the floor where they had the machine set up.  _ I don’t…. I don’t want to be pregnant…  _

 

Levi soon had to carry Eren from the room, concerned when they came into the small room and saw the doctor pointing things out to the nurse.  _ Oh no…  _

 

Eren looked at the doctor and the nurse and soon another doctor came to look as well. Eren’s heart sank as he looked down down, his ears pinned.  _ Did I miscarry? I probably did… why are there so many of them looking at the x-rays? _

 

Levi carried him over, worried. “....what do they say?” Levi finally saw one of the scans, one large pup visible among many smaller dots.  _...what…  _

 

The doctor sighed and nodded, taking the pictures and ushering them back into the room to let Eren lay down. “It appears as though, you miscarried a majority of your litter of 12…. which could be the reason you still had a heat. But from what we can see, you have one living pup that’s doing well in the womb.” 

 

_ Only…. one?  _ Eren felt his mouth grow dry as he looked up to Levi with broken eyes, tears starting to well up once more.  _ I only have one? I…. I miscarried the others?  _

 

Levi immediately went to gather Eren up in his arms, letting him cry as he rubbed his back. “......it’s okay……” Levi looked up to the doctor, his voice gentle. “....that must explain the heat, then…. is it… is it safe to go through other heats with the pup?” 

 

“Judging by how big the pup is, I would say they’ll be okay if you did that…. he survived the last heat, he’ll survive the next one if Eren has it…” the doctor looked concerned with how distraught Eren looked at the thought. “If you were wondering… it only appears that he pups made it to three months…” 

 

_ I…. I’ve never miscarried almost an entire litter yet… fuck, I need to go on suppressant…. I can’t do this anymore... _

 

Levi cradled Eren closer, feeling their thoughts gently intertwining.  _ We’ll get you suppressants…. ….do you… do you want them? The pup?  _

 

_ …. it’s only one, we can keep one….  _ Eren let Levi cradle him before he started to cry, his tears coming quickly as he started to sob.  _ Fuck, I’m so sorry…. _

 

_ It’s okay…. it’s gonna be okay….  _ Levi gently touched his stomach, kissing the top of Eren’s head.  _ Even though they’re gone… they’re gonna be okay… and one more pup will still have plenty of love…  _

 

Eren only nodded. “I-I… I wanna go home…”  _ I wanna go home now… I wanna eat ice cream and cuddle.  _

 

_ We can do that, honey, don’t worry…  _ “Do you have any suppressants that would be safe to take while he’s pregnant?”  _ We shouldn’t take a chance if it’ll hurt them…  _

 

“I would rather Eren go through his heats naturally than try and suppress while pregnant….”  _ It could do more harm than good with a singular pup… he survived this past one, he’d be able to survive the next because he’ll be bigger... _

 

Levi nodded, gently rubbing Eren’s back. “Okay… thank you…” Levi gently lifted Eren up, swaying with him a bit.  _ I’ll take care of you… ….let’s go home…  _

 

Eren nodded, crying the entire way home and making Levi pick him up to take him inside.  _ I want ice cream… can you get cookies from Marco’s?  _

 

_ Of course I will… let me make a list, okay?  _ Levi was set to the store five minutes later with a list of sweets, coming home with cookies, meringues, and ice cream, finding Eren in the nest with Lathe curled around him, the pups all cuddled up to him.  _ ….aw…  _ Levi soon climbed in with him, settling next to him in the pile and beginning to feed him.  _ Sugar will help... _

 

Eren purred as he was fed sugar, calming down relatively quickly.  _ I’m sorry, Levi…  _ He sniffled as he finished the entire ice cream tub. 

 

_ It’s okay… did you tell Dad?  _ Levi gently held onto Eren, reaching to pet Lathe in his wolf form.  _ He would want to know…  _

 

Eren shook his head and looked to Levi.  _ Can you… can you tell him? Please? I don’t wanna tell him.  _ He whimpered when Levi stopped feeding him sugar.

 

Levi gave Eren a meringue, setting the box in his lap and gently petting Lathe’s head more. “Dad?” Levi paused when Lathe looked up to him with gentle eyes.  _...it’s okay…  _ “Eren… he was pregnant…. but… he only has one pup right now… but he… he started out with… with twelve… they miscarried when they were three months along….” 

 

Lathe was quiet, soon moving to gently lick Eren’s face before curling around him, gently nuzzling his stomach.  _ I knew he was pregnant… but…. I’m so, so sorry…  _

 

Eren sniffled, curling up against Lathe as he was nuzzled, eating more meringues.  _ Sugar… I want lots of sugar... _

 

Lathe moved to gently lick his hand before a pup whined, easily getting Lathe’s attention. The older wolf got up and a small flock of small pups followed him, lying down and letting them climb all over him.  _ Pups….  _

 

Levi continued to feed Eren sugar, soon getting up. “I’m going to make lunch for everyone… you’re gonna need meat and veggies too, so leave a little room, okay?”  _ I can’t let you completely spiral into nothing but sugar…  _

  
Eren sniffled and nodded, eating the meringue he had in his hand before he set the box aside.  _ I’ll be okay, it’s just one... _


	24. Under the Willow Tree

The months passed slowly, Levi making sure Eren was well-fed and well-sugared, watching his belly slowly grow.  _ He won’t want more after this…. but… at least we get to have one more….  _ Levi was stunned when Eren woke him up with a loud whimper early one morning, scared. “What, what’s wrong? Are you okay?” 

 

Eren shook his head, whimpering until he felt his water break and his eyes slowly turn gold.  _ Fuck fuck fuck!  _ He whimpered horribly, quickly shifting to his wolf form to try and get off the bed.  _ It hurts… the pup is coming…  _

 

Levi immediately got up, looking around their nest frantically as the pups started to wake up.  _ Shit.  _ “I’m gonna call Lathe, okay?” Levi immediately took out his phone and called Lathe through speakerphone, carefully moving the smaller pups to the living room nest, closing them in with their eldest.  _ They’ll be taken care of.  _

 

Lathe was exhausted and jittery when he arrived, heading upstairs when he was let in, quickly going to find Eren pacing in circles in his nest. “Hi, honey…. come here…” Lathe gently pet him, walking along with him. “You’re gonna be just fine, okay? Carrying and delivering one big pup is a lot easier than a full litter…”  _ ….but we’re gonna have stillborns too…. ….they won’t be hard…. Just… really sad….  _

 

Eren nodded, his ears pinned a bit as he continued to pace, not even realizing that he was giving birth to a small still that was breaching first as he walked.  _ It feels weird….  _ He whined, not wanting to lay down, the contractions not strong enough for the pup to come out, but enough for the very small stills to start breaching.

 

Lathe stopped him when he saw the first of the stills fall from him, reaching to set them on a cloth snatched from the nest wall. “If you need to keep moving to let them come, you can…. but Eren… the eleven you lost are all stills…. there’s one right now…” Lathe showed him the tiny body.  _ You can keep pacing if you need to….  _

 

Eren whimpered, nosing the small body in Lathe’s hand, his ears pinned to his head.  _ Is that why it feels weird? Did I have them?  _ He looked behind him seeing yet another still on the floor, whimpering and going to pick it up in his jaws.  _ My pups... _

 

Lathe let Eren pick up the pup and set them in the cloth, following him as he slowly walked. “You’re having them, yeah… just keep walking and they’ll come… if you want to have them like that…” 

 

Eren nodded, and walked around a bit more, all eleven of the stills coming relatively quickly. There was no sign of the contractions getting any faster or harder.  _ Huh? I….I have one more pup, right? Right?  _

 

Lathe gathered up the stills, nodding. “You do… lie down, honey, okay?” Lathe helped him, gently feeling his stomach. “They’re there, and they’re certainly big enough to be ready, and they’re moving a bit… but they might take a bit to get here…” …. _ This could take a while.  _ “Uhm, what…” Lathe looked to the small pile of pups. “...what do you want to do with the stills, honey…?” 

 

_ K-Keep?  _ His ears were pinned as he looked down after only glancing at Levi.  _ He’ll…. he’ll want more….  _ He whined and kept his ears pinned as he nudged the small stills gently. 

 

“Eren… we can’t keep them…” Levi shook his head, slowly coming over and kneeling next to his mate. “We need to bury them… ….and I’m sorry… ….I’ve been pressing for more and more pups from you… but you’re right… we have so many… and I shouldn’t make you feel guilty…. this’ll be our last pup for a long while, okay?”  _ You’ll be able to have pups for many, many, many decades more still… I can wait….  _

 

Eren whimpered as he closed off his mind from Levi, freaking out a bit with his ears pinned and looking away from him.  _ He wants more pups, one more isn’t enough….  _ He licked at the pups, wishing that they would move and start to squirm.  _ I need to give him more... _

 

“Eren?” Levi gently pet his ears, holding onto him. “...your purpose isn’t to give me pups… you don’t have to do nothing besides take care of the pups we have and add more every year… you don’t have to do that… it’s really okay…. it’s… it’s still so sad to see eleven pups that didn’t get a chance to live…. but it’ll be better if the next time we have pups we’re more prepared for them and have more time to love and care for them…. this house is bursting at the seams, I know we can’t keep this up forever… I just… They grow up so fast… and I wish they could all stay little forever…”  _ They’re so cute when they’re little… fun to play with and dress up and feed…  _

 

Eren’s ears stayed pinned as he kept his head turned from Levi, and his mind closed off.  _ We’ll…. we’ll bury them, I guess….  _

 

“Eren….. ….please don’t shut me out…” Levi sounded heartbroken, his face flushed in shame. “I’m so sorry… I’ve put so much pressure on you and I didn’t want to hurt you….”  _ Please open up….  _

 

Eren turned his head further away from Levi, his chest clenching in guilt when he heard Levi’s tone.  _ I’m…. I want to be alone for awhile….  _ He rolled onto his side as he felt a singular contraction rip through his sides.  _ Dad… the pup isn’t coming…. is it?  _

 

“They’ll probably take some time, honey… they’re gonna come, don’t worry… I can feel them moving.” Lathe sighed, nudging the cloth full of pups closer, letting Eren gently lick them. “...I’m sorry, honey….”  _ It’s hard….  _

 

Eren licked his pups, nudging them as his chest clenched more, feeling Levi’s gentle hands in his fur.  _ I don’t wanna open up….  _ He closed his eyes, exhausted after a few hours of sporadic contractions.  _ I’m tired…. _

 

Levi stayed with him the entire time, the small pile of pups close enough for Eren to watch and occasionally lick.  _ ….I need you…  _ Levi gently held onto his mate, beginning to hurt.  _ You’re my husband and my best friend… I want to talk to you about this… we need to…  _

 

It was nearly 14 hours later that Eren finally had the urge to get up and start to walk around once more.  _ Pup is coming, my pup is coming... _

 

Levi’s head shot up when he heard pacing around dinnertime, feeding the last pup before hurrying upstairs.  _ Pup?  _ He appeared in the doorway, finding Lathe walking him around the room. “Is it time?”

 

“It’s time…” Lathe smiled, letting Levi take the other side as they walked. “Let us know if they’re gonna fall out or not, honey…”  _ We can’t let a live pup fall like that… even if the nest is really soft.  _

 

Eren lowered his head to sniff at his nest, slowly walking as he looked for a place to lay down.  _ Pup is coming, can feel pup squirming…  _ It took multiple minutes before Eren finally laid down and stretched out his body as a contraction made him want to push.  _ Pup…. _

 

“Push when you feel like you should, honey…” Levi was worried as he knelt down next to him, his hands buried in his fur.  _ ….he still hasn’t opened up… ...but… this is  _ **_so_ ** _ important… and he can’t open up to me….  _ Levi nearly choked on his next breath, struggling to keep a straight face.  _ Don’t cry… don’t fucking do it, you’ll make it worse…   _

 

Eren whimpered, pushing when he felt he needed to, a small brown pup finally coming into the world half an hour later along with the placenta. The room filled with quiet cries and squirming as Lathe cleaned them off before handing them to Eren. _ My pup…. my pup is here…. _

 

Levi smiled as he saw the small pup, letting Eren lick them clean, reaching to gently pet them, stunned when Eren curled around them and didn’t let Levi see them. “Eren….” Levi was silent as Eren didn’t respond, tears starting to fall. “.....you won’t even let me see our pup….?” Levi stood, silently leaving the room, feeling something cracking inside.  _ Fuck… I fucked up so bad…. _

 

Eren looked up as Levi started to leave, his ears growing limp as he whimpered, curled up tightly to his pup as it started to suckle.  _ My pup…. I need to bury my other pups…. where should I do that? Probably in the backyard…  _

 

“Levi, stop.” Lathe’s voice was firm, reaching for him and gently pulling him to his side. “Eren, I know it’s been really hard this time around… you’ve lost eleven pups from a litter that only one of you wanted… but now you have one beautiful, healthy pup, and you have a lot of talking to do… both about the pups you’ve lost, the pup you have now, and what your plans are in the future for having pups, whether or not you’re going to have more. Eren… I know it hurts, but you  **need** to let Levi in… let him see and pet and hold his daughter…. and talk with him about the future… family is important. Don’t ignore your family now.” 

 

Eren whined loudly but slowly unfurled from where he was curled around their pup. He watched her with perked ears as she suckled from him and squirmed every so often.  _ But…. but he’s gonna want more…. and he wants the pups buried….  _ He slowly opened his mind back up to Levi but kept his eyes elsewhere. 

 

“Honey… these pups….” Levi gently reached to pet some of the tiny stillborns. “We can’t keep them… ...what do you want to do with them?” 

 

_ …..we can bury them…. _ Eren licked their daughter’s head as she suckled, happy that she was big enough to do so.  _ She’ll be okay…. right? She’s healthy?  _

 

“She’s perfectly healthy, honey… a nice size for a pup. Since she was the only one it’s no surprise she didn’t need so long to get ready. All the attention went to her.” Lathe smiled softly when she was done suckling, looking up to Levi. 

 

“.....can I…. can I hold her?”  _ I wanna hold my baby…  _

 

Eren was weary, taking a long while to decide before finally picking the pup up by her scruff and moving to put her in Levi’s lap.  _ She doesn’t have horns yet... _

 

Levi picked up the pup gently, cradling her to his chest, beginning to cry as she sniffed and licked his neck.  _ …..I can’t believe you had to decide whether or not to let me hold her….  _ Levi was hurting, gently rocking their daughter.  _...she’s beautiful…. I love her so much already…. _

 

Eren whined and whimpered as Levi called him out, curling up to himself.  _ I-I’m sorry…. _

 

_ It’s okay…  _ Levi moved to unfurl Eren, moving so that their daughter was between them.  _ ….she’s so cute…. but… she’s ours…. ….I want to love her too…  _

 

Eren nodded, curling up to Levi but staying very quiet as he watched their daughter. _I’m sorry you had to stay so long, Dad…._ _You probably wanna go home…._

 

“I can pet my granddaughter later…”  _ ….I wanna pet her….  _ Lathe packed up, trying not to look upset.  _ I wanna see her too….  _

 

Levi immediately shook his head, reaching for Lathe. “Come here, Dad….” Levi gently scooped up the pup, setting her in Lathe’s arms just a small reach from Eren.  _ You can still see her… she’s okay….  _

 

Lathe was surprised as he was handed the pup, immediately pulling her close, kissing her head. “Hi, honey… It’s Grampa Lathe…. ….Grampa loves you very much….” He slowly swayed with her, kissing her head, chuckling as she sneezed. “Bless you…” He gently set her back down, letting Eren protectively curl around her again. “....I’ll leave you two be…” Lathe kissed both of their heads, his voice soft. “I’m proud of both of you…. you’re both wonderful parents and wonderful people… ….be good to each other while I’m gone, okay?” 

 

Eren nodded quiet as he curled around their daughter, licking her clean happily, looking over to the pups that were waiting curiously by the door.  _ We can bury them Levi…. wherever you want… and however you want….  _ His ears were still pinned to his head and his eyes glued to the floor, not looking up to the alpha.

 

“...are you sure, Eren?” Levi sat down close to him, not wanting to overwhelm him, looking away as well. “Is there any kind of plant or tree you want over them? Anything?”  _ I’ll do it for you…  _

 

Eren shrugged, licking his daughter more even after she was clean.  _ Whatever you want is fine….  _ His ears drooped as he looked at the blanket of small stills, looking down to his one living pup and curling up around her tighter. 

 

Levi nodded slowly, thinking. “.....you know how we wanted a lilac bush out in the backyard?”

 

_ Yeah…? _

 

“Can we put them there? And I’ll go get the bush today too?”

 

Eren was quiet, nodding ever so slightly and keeping his gaze away from Levi.  _ That’s….. okay….  _ He agreed for the moment, looking down at his own paws.

 

“....Eren…” Levi was quiet, his voice gentle. “.....I really want to make sure you’re okay with it…. we might be upset right now… but we can only give our babies a nice place to sleep once….”  _ I want to do it right… I don’t want you to be upset about it for years to come because you didn’t want to suggest anything… you can want them somewhere, we’ll put them there… I just want it to be nice and undisturbed….  _

 

Eren whined, pinning his ears back against his head.  _ Whatever you want is fine…..just…. no, nevermind…  _ He kept his head away from Levi, knowing if he looked at him he’d break. 

 

Levi moved to slowly lie down with him, curling around him and their pup. “I can’t just nevermind, Eren… this is one of the most important decisions we have to make together… I want to do this right for them.”  _ They deserve it….  _

 

_ It’s just a stupid idea…. whatever you can think of I’m sure will be perfect for them Levi…. I’m sure of it… _ Eren licked their pup clean once more, hearing her soft trills and smiling, a little happier in her presence.

 

_ I’m sure it’s not stupid…. anything for our babies…  _ Levi smiled as the pup squealed when Eren licked her tummy, looking her over.  _ ….she’s beautiful…. Eren,  _ **_thank_ ** _ you for her... _

 

Eren shook his head with his ears pinned.  _ I…. it’s okay… really….  _ Eren continued to lick her stomach clean as she squealed.  _ Why’s he thanking me?  _

 

_ ….she’s… she’s perfect… and you’re letting us keep her….  _ Levi reached to gently pet her, smiling as she batted at his hand.  _ She’s adorable…. ….I…. You deserve everything… I want to give you everything… because you do nothing but give us gifts….  _

 

_ But….  _ Eren trailed off as he looked over to the blanket of stills.  _ I’m sorry Levi… I know you want more….  _ His ears pinned as he tucked his tail, whimpering softly. 

 

Levi moved to gently kiss all over Eren’s head, his thoughts gentle.  _ You’ve already given me such a big and beautiful family… you don’t have to give me more… we both know I love them when they’re so small, but I don’t want you to work yourself to the bone… We have time. There are so, so many years left for kids… we can wait a while for the ones we have to grow up before we even think about having more. You deserve a break…. you really do…  _ Levi gently nuzzled him.  _ ….one of these days we’ll go on a nice long vacation… just you and me… ...you deserve every bit of pampering that can be given to you… ...look at what gifts you’ve given us… it’s the least that can be done for you….  _

 

Eren let Levi kiss all over his head, not sure what to do besides let him.  _ O-Okay….  _ He sniffled a bit as he looked down.  _ I guess that’s okay… but… but we need to wait for the kids to move out… I can’t take a vacation while I still have kids... _

 

_ We’ll find a way to have it happen soon, honey… ...and I really should’ve been cutting back my hours in the office a long while ago… I should at least be home more than I have been… even if I’m working… I should be here in case you need help or something happens… I want to help more with the kids…. they need two parents, not just one… I’m sorry…  _

 

Eren shook his head and looked at Levi with scared eyes.  _ Y-You don’t need to do that… I know you like working and it’s really okay, I can keep up with everything, I promise…  _ He almost seemed to be panicking as he heard his suggestion.  _ I’m not complaining, r-really... _

 

_ Eren…  _ Levi moved to gently rub their necks together, feeling Eren slowly relax as his musk drifted into the air.  _ I know you can do it alone…. you’ve been doing the most wonderful job for years…. but… I’m missing out on so much…. I blinked and our first litter grew up… I want to be there for the kids…. I want them to know their Dad cared… I want them to remember I love them too….  _ Levi held onto him gently.  _ They’re more important than work… they’re always going to be more important…. I know you can do a wonderful job… but I really do want to help… if there’s room for me? _

 

Eren nodded, shutting himself up and curling up into a ball around his daughter.  _ Y-Yeah… that’s….. that’s okay... _

 

Levi paused, pulling back and seeing Eren shaking as he hid his daughter away, swallowing hard.  _ …fuck…  _ Levi looked down, slowly standing and leaving the room quietly.  _...I’m sorry….  _

 

Eren watched Levi leave, whimpering ever so slightly. He started to get up, picking his daughter up by her scruff and following after and watching him feed the pups.  _ I’m… I’m sorry…  _ His ears were down as he settled her into his lap, his tail tucked as he went back upstairs to grab the blanket of pups to bury. 

 

Levi accepted their daughter, looking worried as he gently fed her, cradling her close before setting her down in the pen of other pups.  _ You’re gonna be okay…  _ He watched as the other pups came over to sniff her, all of them nudging her in acceptance.  _ Good.  _ Levi looked over his shoulder as Eren came downstairs with the blanket full of stills, moving to stop him, careful as he knelt down, lower than him as he looked up with gentle and pleasing eyes. “....Eren… please, tell me what  **you** want to do with them…”  _ Please… I won’t be able to stand it if you’re upset with how they’re buried….  _

 

Eren whimpered as he settled them down in front of Levi and made himself smaller than him, showing submission.  _ I…. y-you know the… the willow tree in… in Dad’s backyard? _ He looked up to Levi with sad eyes as he laid against the floor. 

 

_ Do you want them there, honey?  _ Levi smiled softly, lying down as well, both of them equals as they faced each other on the floor, Levi giving Eren a soft look.  _ Tell me about what you want.  _

 

Eren shook his head, closing his eyes as he tried to speak.  _ Can we… can we bury them like we did with Mom? Please?  _

 

Levi immediately nodded, reaching out gently to pet Eren, curling up to him.  _ Of course…. we’ll have them sleep with her… it’s okay…  _ Levi gently pet him as Eren tried not to cry, reaching out with a faint calming scent.  _ It’s okay…  _

 

_ With… with her?.............. o-okay…  _ He let Levi pet him, grateful for his calming scent but still shaking.  _ They can sleep with Mom…..  _ Eren closed off his mind a bit more as he slowly panicked.  _ Dad’ll have a fit if we dig near mom’s tree… I-I thought we’d get another tree……….. but, but we can put them with Mom... _

 

Levi paused, thinking.  _ ….oh.  _ “Honey, did you mean another tree? A willow like hers, nearby? I’m sorry, I don’t know why I tried suggested digging right next to her… that wouldn’t go over well with Dad… I’m sorry, love.” Levi kissed his head, his murmur soft. “I’m sorry… we’ll do it exactly how you want….” 

 

Eren nodded, his mind still closed off but letting Levi pull him close and letting him pet him to try and calm down.  _ New tree like Mom’s.  _

 

Levi held onto him, kissing his head, smiling as one of the pups trotted to the gate and immediately began to whine.  _ Aw…  _ Levi got up and scooped them out of the nest, sitting down with them in his lap next to Eren, chuckling as they immediately stretched to lick Eren’s face.  _ They love you.  _

 

Eren’s ears perked up as he was suddenly licked by a curious pup.  _ Hi there, honey…. _ He picked up his head and got a bit closer so that he could lick and paw him without stretching so much.  _ Hi…. _

 

The pup yapped as Eren moved closer, happy to be shared between the two of them.  _ Hi Mommy! Why sad?  _ The pup looked between Levi and Eren with innocent eyes, soon looking over to the small bundle.  _ Why’s that making you sad? _

 

Eren looked at the pup his ears slowly drooping as he tried to think of an explanation.  _ Well….. they were your brothers and sisters that didn’t make it…. we have to bury them now… and we’re going to bury them just like how we buried my Mom….  _ He looked down to the bundle, curling closer around it and hiding it. 

 

The pup was quiet, thinking, soon crawling out of Levi’s lap and going to gently lick all over Eren’s face, cuddling up to him.  _ ….I’m sorry, Mom….  _ The pup felt Levi curl around them as well, nuzzling him.

 

Eren quieted down, his ears pinned even as he was licked and cuddled up against.  _ I’m sorry, honey……. you would’ve had a lot more brothers and sisters….  _

 

_ Mommy…. I already have a lot… I’m sorry you didn’t get to keep them all… but I have friends… it’s okay….  _ He nestled into Eren’s neck, calm.  _ I’m sorry… ...but you have lots of us… it’s okay….  _

 

Eren tried to smile but all he could feel was pain ripping through his chest.  _ Your father wants a lot more… He likes when you guys are so small…. _

 

_ I know…. ...but you can wait… feeding takes really long because there are so many of us, and you always look tired… ...Daddy can wait a bit for more pups, right?  _ The pup looked up to Levi with big eyes.  _ Mommy’s always tired… can’t more wait? _

 

Levi nodded, smiling softly. “More can wait… ...I think it’s a sign, us losing this litter…” Levi gently pet the pup. “We should wait a while before we try again for more… and you’re still so small… I'll be happy watching you all grow up…”

 

Eren seemed to sigh in relief, nuzzling the both of them.  _ I don’t remember where Dad got the tree…. Can you… can you ask him? If I ask he’s just gonna break down again. _

 

_ Okay…  _ Levi kissed Eren’s head, getting up. “I’ll go ask him…” Levi went to get shoes on and walk next door, a bit intimidated when Lathe opened the door with a tiny pup in his arms. “Dad? Uhm… where did you get that Willow tree?” 

 

Lathe was quiet, thinking. “...Eren wants them under a Willow?” He watched Levi nod, looking at the pup in his arms and sniffling, moving to give Levi a hug, his voice a bit weak as he managed to remember where he’d gotten the tree. “It’s…. I’m… It means a lot… since she’s….”  _ She’s under a Willow….  _

 

Levi nodded, hugging Lathe back as he sniffled. “I know it does, I want to make him happy…. he’s… he’s done so much already, and I want to make sure we do what he wants with them…”  _ He was going to just bury them because it’s what I wanted…. I thought our relationship was stable? That he could tell me things... _

 

Lathe nodded, sighing shakily. “He’s… he’s not used to you being too involved, I don’t think…. he just defaults to what you want whenever you’re involved… if… if you’re gonna get more involved with the pups, just… make sure you two talk… and as equals.”  _ You’re equal.  _

 

Levi nodded, kissing his forehead. “Do you remember the place? Could you write it down for me?”  _ I don’t have my phone on me…. And Eren is dead set on burying them under a willow tree... _

 

“Y-Yeah, come in…” Lathe let him in, shuffling into the kitchen and forking over the tiny pup. “Hold.” He got out a scrap of paper and a pen, writing. “Nene gets lonely really easily, even with all her brothers and sisters, and holding her fixes the problem.”  _ Yep.  _

 

Levi looked down at the tiny innocent pup as he softly pet her. “An omega?”  _ She must be with how clingy she is.  _ He smiled softly, petting her behind the ear and watching her tail wag slowly.  _ She’s cute…. _

 

“Definitely… she’s the clingiest of the bunch… she follows me around everywhere when she’s not stuck in the pen, though whenever Damien or I are in there she’ll climb all over us until she can find somewhere to nap… loves her sleep.” Lathe soon handed him a slip of paper, taking the pup back. “Hi again, honey.” He chuckled as she whined and immediately pawed at Levi again, holding her out and letting her lick Levi’s cheek, which placated her.  _ Aw.  _ “She loves her big brother.” 

 

Levi chuckled, pocketing the piece of paper before looking towards the door. “I’m sure she’d love to see her actual big brother instead of the guy he’s mated to….”  _ But she is adorable…  _ “Thank you, for this Lathe, Eren’ll be happy…” 

 

“She can love you too, Levi. You’re not just some guy Eren lives with. ...and… it’s… it just means a lot. Eren’s Mom was special… and your pups are just as precious…”  _ It means a lot.  _ Lathe waved, nudging Nene to say goodbye, the pup yapping at Levi as he left.  _ She loves you.  _

 

Levi smiled faintly as Lathe spoke, waving to him and Nene as he left.  _ ….It’s still surreal, a bit…. I’m part of the family.  _ Levi got into his truck, thinking silently.  _ I have a little sister now. ….wow.  _

 

Eren perked his ears as he heard Levi get in the truck and then start the car.  _ He’s leaving?  _ He whined a bit, his ears pinning as he picked up the bundle of pups gently, managing to make his way out of the house and settle them on the ground in the far back corner shaded by the other willow tree.  _ I should start digging….. _

 

Levi came home after a while with a young willow in the bed of his truck, managing to pick it up to carry into the backyard, surprised to find Eren next to a very large mound of dirt and the bundle of pups, curled up. “Right there, honey?” He watched him nod, setting the sapling down closeby. He knelt next to the hole with him, gently petting his head, looking in. “....are you ready, honey?” 

 

Eren nodded, shifting to pick up the bundle and settle it in the middle of the large hole.  _ I need to put dirt on top of them…. then the sapling can go in, then the rest of the dirt…. _

 

Levi gently touched the small bundle before he let him set them in the hole, reaching for a handful of dirt, starting to crumble it over the small pile. He and Eren gently nudged more and more dirt into the hole until they were covered, Levi eventually standing for the tree.  _ ….We won’t forget about them…  _ He picked it up, setting it in the hole, both of them filling in the rest of the space and then some.  _...but one day, thinking about them won’t mean tears.  _

 

Eren nodded, curling up around the base of the willow tree for the moment.  _ I know… but it still hurts….  _

 

Levi nodded, moving to sit with him, his head in his lap.  _ I know… it’ll be like that for a long time… but it’s okay….  _ Levi looked up at the much taller willow not twenty feet away, thinking.  _...your Mom has a bit of company….  _

 

_ She’ll like playing with the pups, she’ll be okay…. _ Eren slowly got up from where he was and nuzzled the tree before going back inside.  _ I need to start feeding the pups…  _

 

Levi was surprised Eren didn’t want to stay with the tree longer.  _ ….oh, um…. okay.  _ Levi gently patted the ground before getting up, following Eren back inside.  _ I was so sure you’d want to stay out there longer… ...it’s okay to, you know…  _

 

_ I’ve got pups to take care of Levi… I’ll come back out there eventually….  _ Eren still had his head low to the ground as he pulled the door open stepping inside and instantly hearing hungry whines.  _ I need to make formula too….  _ He shifted to his human form, looking pale as he went to put formula together. 

 

Levi nodded, coming in and immediately going to the fridge.  _ I’ll get soft food started for the pups.  _ He started the rice cooker and got out the ground beef, beginning to cut up vegetables into tiny pieces as well.  _ Easy enough.  _

 

Eren watched him from the corner of his eye as he made formula taking the bottles and going to the pen, picking up the smallest first and putting her under his shirt and letting her suckle as he picked up another to give him a bottle.  _ Just a few more hours…. _

 

_ Hours? Is that really how long it takes?  _ Levi looked over the massive amount of both pup and kid that had begun to amass in the kitchen and living room.  _ ….I can kinda see that actually, yeah… ...holy fuck, I’m so sorry….  _ Levi felt a pup tugging on his pant leg, leaning down to pick them up and set them on his shoulder, leaving them surprised and satisfied.  _ Pup.  _ He kissed their head, continuing to cook.  _ This’ll help; once this is all done, it’ll feed the majority of them that are all on normal food.  _ Levi continued to add more and more ingredients into a large pot before he could finally turn on the stove, starting to cook.  _ I had no idea… I probably should have, but… I just never put it together…  _

 

Eren got through the first three pups with the three bottles and the tired pup against his chest. “Levi…. I’m gonna go take her up to our nest upstairs, okay?”  _ I want her to sleep, and not get trampled….  _ He closed off his mind from Levi like he normally would and sighed quietly out of earshot. “Alright honey, you can sleep in just a moment…” 

 

_ Okay.  _ Levi felt Eren close himself off, suddenly feeling strange to have the silence. “....Eren? Um… you don’t have to close yourself off… we can still talk like that… if you’re alright with it.” Levi looked over to him, worried.  _ You’re so pale and I’m worried…  _

 

Eren looked up to him with confusion for a moment before shaking his head. “It’s fine Levi, re-” He was cut off by whining pups, giving him an apologetic look and going to make another batch of formula to get the pups happy.  _ We’ve…. we’ve always been closed off from each other…. _

 

Levi sighed, returning the look as he got more rice cooking, the pot he was using very full. “Eren, I know we don’t talk much when I’m home, but-” He sighed as the pup on his shoulder whined, soon moving them to one arm while he worked. “...but I want to talk to you… I’m missing out on  **you** too…”  _ I can’t do that to you…  _

 

“You’re not missing much Levi… it’s just about the pups while they’re home…. making sure the kids have their homework done and that they took their lunches. Going to the school to pick up someone when their sick… making sure everyone eats everything they’re given, giving them a bath and then going to sleep….”  _ That’s how everything works…  _ Eren filled the three bottles again, going to the pen with them to feed three more pups. 

 

Levi slowly nodded, thinking.  _ ….that sounds like a boring and exhausting as fuck life…  _ Levi was relieved when the food was ready, beginning to put down full bowls for the pups on solid food and bigger ones for the kids at the table and counters. “That’s thirty-two fed.” 

 

“Levi? Can you make three more bottles of formula?”  _ Then that’s the last three… my entire back hurts, I don’t wanna get up to make it…  _ He fed the last bottle he had to the pup he was holding, smiling as the pups yawned and stretched out lazily. _ Sleepy pups…  _

 

“Of course.” Levi went around the kitchen, soon delivering three more bottles of formula, chuckling at the sleepy pups scattered around the nest. “It looks like it rained pups in here…” He gently pet one, smiling. “Is bathtime next?” 

 

“Yeah, but not for a few hours, they get to sleep for an hour before I start to try and bathe them… The kids are doing their homework, I’m gonna go check to see if the newborn needs anything…”  _ I’m tired, but I need to make sure that everyone is okay…  _

 

Levi looked a bit worried as Eren got up and left, deciding to stand and meander to where the other rooms near the front of the house were taken over with kids and papers.  _ Wow.  _ Levi looked around, sounding a bit out of place. “If, ah, if any of you need help with anything on your homework and google isn’t helping, let me know, okay?” He found that the older kids were much better able to fend for themselves, instead helping the youngest learn how to write their name on the top of their paper and how to add.  _ It’s okay, honey.  _

 

“Dad? Where’d Mom go? Finnick is throwing up again.” Fredrick pointed out as he looked over his calculus homework, quickly going through it.  _ Mom usually makes sure that he keeps everything down… he ate too quickly again…  _

  
  



	25. Taste of Fatherhood

“Dad? Where’d Mom go? Finnick is throwing up again.” Fredrick pointed out as he looked over his calculus homework, quickly going through it.  _ Mom usually makes sure that he keeps everything down… he ate too quickly again…  _

 

“Mom’s upstairs right now- I’ll take care of Finnick.” Levi ran to get a bucket very quickly, finding Finnick and getting him to throw up into the bucket, starting to clean up the mess on the tile floor in the front hall.  _ Damn.  _ “It’s okay, honey, let it happen… you know you can’t scarf down your food…” He gently rubbed their back, trying to calm them down.  _ It’s okay, honey.  _

 

Finnick looked up to Levi with teary eyes from having thrown everything up. “B-But I didn’t have the ball in my bowl… I thought it would be okay if… if….” He sniffled and felt his stomach roll again.  _ I was hungry…. _

 

Levi slowly understood, his voice soft. “I’m sorry, honey, I forgot to put the ball in today… you just do your best to relax, okay? Let it all happen. And once your stomach settles down in a bit, we can try again, okay?” 

 

Finnick whimpered but nodded, eventually emptying out his stomach completely and then some.  _ It hurts…  _ He whined when he stomach growled and was completely empty, looking up to Levi for help. “D-Daddy? My stomach is yelling at me….” 

 

Levi chuckled, moving to help Finnick move to the kitchen, getting him a glass of water to rinse out his mouth. “We’ll get you more food, honey.” Levi let him shift back into a pup, filling a bowl with some food and finding the ball in the cupboard, setting it in and setting it on the floor, gently petting Finnick’s head. “There you go, honey. Take it nice and slow, okay?” 

 

Finnick nodded, his tail wagging as he had to take his time with the ball in his food.  _ My stomach won’t hurt this time... _

 

Fredrick looked up from his calculus to watch Finnick eat for a few moments before sighing and shaking his head, going back to the equation. _ Mom’ll get worried… He was doing so well... _

 

Levi went about cleaning up the kitchen, looking back to check on Finnick every minute or two. “I know you like to eat quickly, honey, but you really do need to take your time. Even when the ball isn’t there. You have to learn to take a bit of time. You’ll get there; don’t worry.” Levi kissed his head, continuing on.  _ My baby….  _

  
Finnick whined a bit, soon finishing what was in his bowl and going to lounge amongst his siblings.  _ Where’s Mommy? Mommy rubs my belly when I’m sick... _

“Mommy’s upstairs with your new baby sister… it’s okay. Can Daddy give belly rubs?”  _ Will you let me?  _ Levi sat down next to him, smiling faintly. 

_ But I want  _ **_Mommy’s_ ** _ belly rubs!  _  Finnick whined, his ears pinned back and his tail drooping as he went to go for the stairs.  _ Want Mommy’s belly rubs!  _

Levi drooped a bit, though he chuckled softly as the pup went right off to search for Mom, following upstairs. “Finnick, honey…” He stopped when he saw Finnick nudging a passed-out Eren, a small pup squirming in his arms.  _ Oh my.  _ Levi moved to gently detangle the tiny pup, moving Eren more comfortably before letting them settle on his chest without being squished.  _ There you go.  _ “Finnick, honey, Mommy’s too tired to give belly rubs… I’m sorry.” 

_ But…. but… but Mommy has to give us baffs! And… snuggled before bedtime…. I don’t want mommy to go sleeps… _ Finnick whined more, going to jump on Eren’s thighs, trying to balance himself and get closer him, looking up to see the small pup.  _ Small….  _

Levi carefully scooped Finnick up, holding onto the squirmy pup. “I know there’s still a lot to be done, honey, but Mommy needs lots and lots of rest after everything that happened today… Mommy had more pups today, so Mommy needs sleep and time with the smallest pup. I can get you all bathed and snuggled, don’t worry. Mommy gets a break tonight.”  _ He needs it.  _

_ Daddy needs to work… Daddy needs to work to keep us safe…. and happy, and Mommy said we’re gonna have more brothers and sisters soon… are there more pups?  _ Finnick looked up to Levi with perked eyes.  _ Mommy said that we could have a playdate with Mr. Casper’s pups today… but Mommy couldn’t take us… and Papa said that we could go over tomorrow…  _

“We only have one more right now, honey… ...there were more, but they couldn’t stay. I’m sorry, honey. Today’s been a really long and hard day for Mommy. But you’ll get to go over to Papa’s tomorrow, don’t worry. And Daddy does lots of work, but Daddy  **also** wants to be around to keep you all safe and happy. And to let Mommy sleep when he’s tired.” Levi kissed Finnick’s head, settling them down on the ground and going to gently rub Finnick’s belly, smiling as the pup relaxed into the nest.  _ It’s okay.  _

_ Mommy said Daddy loves his job more than us…. Y-You love us, r-right Daddy?  _ Finnick looked at him with innocent eyes, going practically limp in his hands as he waited for an answer. 

Levi looked at the pup with wide eyes, immediately bringing the pup to his chest for a hug. “Daddy  **loves** you, honey…. Daddy will always love all of you more than any job out there… it takes a lot to keep this house afloat with so many of you running around, but… I didn’t think I was working so much that… that I made you all think that.”  _ ….I can’t let them think that… they’re… they’re my babies…. I can’t miss them growing up…. I can’t let them grow up thinking Daddy loved his paycheck more than them…. _

_ You missed our birthdays last week…. Mommy thought you would remember…. but you didn’t come home until we were all asleep…. I got sickies…. and Mommy was crying… I didn’t wanna make Mommy cry so I went back to sleep…. _

_ …..oh my god….  _ Levi felt his face flush with shame, slowly rocking the pup. “....I-I’m so sorry… I….”  _ I should’ve remembered…. fuck….  _ Levi kissed all over Finnick’s head, thinking as he started to cry silently.  _ I’ve fucked up so bad as a Father…  _ Levi reached for his pocket, shaking a bit as he managed to send a text.  _ I need help…  _

Lathe was off the couch in an instant, chuckling as the pups all got excited as he started to get things in the kitchen ready. He didn’t know how to explain it when the noise managed to get Damien downstairs, Lathe caught in the act of setting their pups in a big basket. “.....this isn’t what it looks like.” 

Damien was silent for a moment. “Eren’s pups need to be occupied? Isn’t it almost bath time for them?”  _ This is… an interesting development.  _ “You think he’s okay with the new pup?” 

“I’m thinking Eren’s passed out and Levi’s panicking, given the text I received.” Lathe continued stashing pups in the basket. “Help must be had. And you’re coming with.” Lathe gave him a look that left no room for argument.  _ You’re helping too.  _

“Alright, time to take over next door.” He grabbed another basket, starting to put the rest of their pups inside of it.  _ So cute…  _

Lathe soon enough had them all vacated and next door, setting the baskets in the nest in the living room and watching them spill out to socialize.  _ Bathtime is soon.  _ “I’m gonna go find Levi and say hi, can I trust you to start bathing pups?”

“Yeah, I’ll go get the bath set up.”  _ I like that they do bath time in the sink… makes it easy to chase everyone down. _

Lathe smiled, kissing his cheek before going to the stairs, heading up. “Honey?” Lathe paused when he saw Levi silently sitting with Finnick, sitting next to him. “How’re you feeling?” 

Levi looked at Lathe as he sat down next to him. “What happened to us? We had the perfect relationship going on…. when did he start closing himself off? When did he start crying when I didn’t come home at night?.... how much have I missed?”  _ I feel horrible….  _

Lathe paused, slowly moving to hug him. “Honey, it’s been a long time… around litter two, I think he got the idea that you were going to be hands-off… it…. it didn’t sit well with him.” Lathe paused, looking to the pup in Levi’s arms. “You always wanted more, but… you never seemed to slow down enough to watch them grow… ...did you even remember their birthday?” 

Levi was quiet as he looked down at Finnick, holding him close and gently petting his stomach, giving him gentle rubs.  _ No…..  _ It was a while before a broken sentence left him. “N-No…. what kind of a father am I?”  _ We’ve had…. 4 more litters since then… why didn’t he say anything?  _

“One that hasn’t taken a break from being a businessman in order to be a dad. You haven’t been a dad yet and your first litter’s already left the house… they grow up fast, Levi… you can’t let them grow up without Dad…”  _ ….your job… I know it pays well, but… fuck…  _

Levi looked at Lathe with broken eyes before looking down to Finnick and kissing his head, making sure to keep him happy and situated.  _ I…. I really fucked up….  _ “I-I… I…. when was the last time he left the house?”  _ When was that? He’s… he’s been working himself to the bone…. _

“Uhm…. …a  **really** long time ago… I give him his haircuts, and he doesn’t really need to leave since you do most of the errands…. and he gets everything delivered….”  _ I don’t know…  _

Levi was about to swear before he heard a soft purring from his hands, looking down to Finnick as he relaxed with his belly rubs.  _ Well, he’s calmed down…. I have 43 kids in the house with Eren… we’ve had so many, and I haven’t been a part of any of their lives…. fuck…  _ “How do I do better? How can I make this right?” 

“.....do you need your job at this point, Levi? I know you run an entire company, but… 43 kids… and you’ve been successful enough to keep them all alive and educated and clothed… ….is it worth it?” 

Levi’s gears were turning as he tried to think of a solution.  _ I don’t trust anyone with the company, they’ll run it to the ground….  _ “I could…. I could figure out how to work from home….”  _ That wouldn’t be too hard to do I don’t think. _

“If you need to, hire more people and make sure that they’re actually  **doing** something… get people on board who can get what you tell them to do done…. if you can figure out a way to do less of the actual grunt work and do more in the way of delegating tasks, you could pull it off.”  _ Definitely.  _

Levi nodded, pulling his pup close.  _ I’ll do that…  _ “I’ll start working from home then…. and I can have someone hire smalls to do the the grunt work…. someone I trust.”  _ One of my first recruits.  _

“Okay.” Lathe nodded, reaching to gently pet the tiny pup in Levi’s arms. “The pups deserve it. And Eren deserves a bit of a break too. ...now. Do you want to help with bathtime?”  _ The big pups need the bathtub.  _

Levi looked to Lathe and nodded. “Y-Yeah… that’d be nice, I’ll help.”  _ Let’s get this show started…. _

Lathe smiled and nodded, standing and gently taking Finnick. “Levi, why don’t you take your daughter? She should have a nice warm bath first.”  _ She can go first… the sink up here is plenty big.  _

Levi looked back towards the nest room, slowly getting up and going to go inside, hearing Eren’s purrs and another new set of purrs. _ That’s…. that’s really cute… _ He walked in quietly making sure to not disturb either of them as he picked her up, carefully making his way out of the room and looking back at Lathe, closing the door softly.  _ Alright, I’ve got the little purring furball. _

Lathe smiled, leading him into the bathroom. “Okay, and now…” He turned the water on until it was warm, plugging the sink and looking over to Levi, setting a bottle of shampoo from under the sink on the counter. “Okay. Bathtime.” Lathe sighed as Levi looked at him bewildered. “Just… set her in, keep her warm, make sure you gently wash all over, keep her from licking the stuff and when you rinse her off and dry, make sure you’re gentle, okay? Just don’t let her fall asleep and then leave.” 

“Okay……” Levi tested the water before dipping her into it, hearing her immediately whine and squirm in his hand.  _ Huh?  _ “Is it too hot?”  _ Does she not like the water?  _ He pulled her up and out of the water, looking her over for any signs of burns and whatnot. 

Lathe chuckled, going to gently pet the squirmy pup. “She’s just really tired still; she just woke up from her nap. Come on, honey, bathtime first, then you can go sleepy-bye….” Lathe smiled as she finally seemed to wake up enough, watching Levi set her in, the pup pawing at the water curiously.  _ Aw.  _

Levi sighed in relief that she wasn’t hurt, picking up the bottle and putting some shampoo on her and lifting her so he could gently wash her. _ She’s so cute…. but…. no horns…. _ Levi rubbed the spot that they should be protruding from, looking over her with confused eyes. 

The pup looked up at him with big eyes, feeling Levi pet her head strangely, whimpering.  _ Feel weird….  _ The pup whined, shaking their head a bit, tiny horns soon popping out to poke his fingers.  _ Stahp!  _ The pup suddenly felt Levi rubbing the base of them, going limp with purrs.  _...no stahp…  _

Levi chuckled, gently washing her fur and rubbing her horns to keep her happy.  _ Mila…. I like the name Mila… But I’ll let Eren decide.  _ He smiled as she pawed at him when he stopped rubbing her horns even for a moment as he reached for the cup to wash the soap out. 

The pup squirmed a bit, happy as warm water was poured over her head, yapping happily as she saw Lathe come into the bathroom with a towel.  _ Papa?  _ They squealed as they were dried off, shaking off and immediately nudging back into Levi’s hand.  _ Daddy pet? _

Levi smiled softly, petting her gently, making sure that she was dry.  _ I want you to be comfortable…. and happy… your Daddy will always be with you…  _ “I’ll pet you honey, don’t worry…” 

Lathe chuckled, soon slipping something over Levi’s head. “You’ll understand in a second….” Lathe picked up the pup and set her in a pouch around Levi’s neck, watching her look around with wide eyes and inspect the roomy compartment on the apron-like garment. “She’s gonna want you around for a while after her bath, and this’ll make it easier.” 

Levi looked at the pouch with confusion.  _ What the hell? We have one of these things?  _ Levi simply melted as he heard her begin to purr.  _ That’s adorable... _

Lathe smiled at the look on Levi’s face, kissing his cheek. “She’ll like that. Now, we all have pups to bathe.”  _ Let’s get them all clean.  _

“In the sink?”  _ We wash our pups in the sink? All of them? Even ones bigger than Finnick?  _

“Nope, not all of them. The teeny ones get the sink, the big pups get the bathtub. Then, the teenagers get to take turns in the shower. The big kids don’t need our help.”  _ They’re fine.  _ Lathe looked down to Finnick as he tugged at his pant leg, picking him up and setting him in the tub. “I’m going to get him a friend for you to wash at the same time. Start the water nice and warm, honey.” Lathe left, going to find another kid, soon carrying one up the stairs.  _ I’ve got you.  _

Levi made sure to keep the water warm but not hot enough to burn them, looking at Finnick, seeing the steel grey eyes he had.  _ He’s got my eyes… I wonder how many of them have my eyes… I don’t even know… Eren does this by himself?  _

Finnick bonked his head against Levi’s hand whenever he got the chance, enjoying the scrubs.  _ Baff…  _ Finnick splashed around in the water a bit as Levi washed his brother, happy when Levi turned the overhead spray on to rinse the off, both of them happy to splish and jump a bit.  _ Slippy… but splashy!  _ Finnick was happy when they were lifted out and immediately wrapped up with toasty towels.  _ Papa got us the toasty ones!!  _

Levi took the other warm towel and picked up the other pup to dry them off as well, happy to see Eren’s eyes in the sibling.  _ Maximus has Eren’s eyes... _

The pups both soon had the towels taken away, shaking out their coats and immediately trotting off to the biggest bedroom to play a bit.  _ We can has snuggles before bed, right?  _

“You can have snuggles before bed, don’t worry…” Levi followed Lathe to pick up the next two pups to wash.  _ Let’s get this done... _

It took about an hour for all of the pups to get washed and dried, Lathe herding the ones from downstairs up to the big nest, settling down in the nest and chuckling as he was immediately jumped on, kissing tiny heads as they nosed at him. “Hi honeys… hello…” Lathe laid back as Damien and Levi followed, smiling as they flooded over to Levi.  _ He’s not prepared for this much pup, is he? _

Levi was quickly overwhelmed by how much fur he was surrounded by, looking over to some of the older pups as they got out of their showers and went to lay by Lathe.  _ Fuck… they probably don’t even want me around here…. I haven’t been here to watch them grow up.  _

Lathe gently pet some of the older pups, kissing their heads. “Honeys, there’s something we have to tell you all…” Lathe looked up to Levi with a soft smile. “Daddy’s going to be home a lot more pretty soon… I know he’s been really busy for a long time, but he’s been working really hard so that you all have something nice to eat and a nice place to sleep… so Daddy’s gonna help Mommy with bathtime and food…. he has a lot of love for all of you… things will change a little bit, but we all still love you the same.” Lathe looked them over as they went quiet, worried.  _ ….oh no…  _ He watched as the eldest in the room got up from their spot on Lathe’s leg, watching them walk over to Levi and hesitate before licking his face and curling up into his side. All of the pups flooded over to Levi, nosing him and piling up next to him.  _ Oh my god…  _

Levi wasn’t sure what to do, keeping his youngest from getting squashed under the other pups as they all moved close.  _ All of them…. oh thank god…  _ He pet as many as he could reach, relaxing as a few of the younger ones fell asleep on his chest and legs.  _ That’s adorable.  _

The tiny pup in the pouch squeaked as they were surrounded, moving out of the pouch and up under Levi’s chin, curling up and falling asleep with their head nestled against his neck.  _ Daddy…  _

The giant pile of pup didn’t need more than fifteen minutes before they were all asleep on top of Levi, all different little snores and quiet breaths the only sounds in the room. Lathe smiled, standing with Damien and whispering. “We’ll make sure the kids downstairs lock the door behind us…. oh, but first….” Lathe and he left, coming back with Eren, setting him down near the pile, chuckling as some of the sleepy pups woke and shifted over to Mom. “Alright… goodnight, Levi.” 

Levi chuckled as he pet some of the pups gently, his heart melting. “Night Dad… night Damien…”  _ I’m still not sure what to call him…  _ He let another pup snuggle closer to his side, looking over Eren’s sleeping frame and sighing contentedly.  _ This… I want this to happen every night, this… I love this. _

Damien gave Levi a gentle look, sighing softly as he watched Lathe glance back at him _. ...I’m still not Dad, I guess…. ….I wish he’d start calling me that…  _ “Levi?” Damien was quiet as he got the vampire’s attention. “....you can call me Dad if you want… or Pops, just Damien, whatever you want…”  _ It's okay… _

Levi looked at him silently and then turned his head to Lathe. “Quite honestly it feels weird calling either of you Dad….. or Pops or whatnot, because I’m much older than the both of you combined.”  _ I’m still getting used to calling Lathe Dad…. _

Both of them fell silent, Lathe staring down at the floor.  _...well,  _ **_that_ ** _ went well.  _ “It’s just… you’re like a son to us… it’d… be nice…” Lathe sniffled, sighing shakily and rubbing at his eye with the hell of his palm.  _ Fuck.  _ “If you don’t want to call me Dad either, that’s fine… Lathe is fine…”  _ It’s not fine….  _

Damien reached for Lathe, gently pulling him into his side, his voice gentle as he glanced at Levi. “Sorry… Damien it is, then…”  _ ….well shit.  _ Damien didn’t know what to do, Lathe holding onto his sleeve and yet rooted to the spot.  _...you want him to take it back, don’t you.  _

_ I do…. I really do…. he’s… he’s my son….  _

“Dad…. I’ve just recently gotten used to calling you Dad… I’m just, I’m sorry but I’ll get used to calling Damien Dad...or Pops soon enough, don’t worry…”  _ Please don’t cry… I can’t get up with the amount of floof I’m surrounded by.  _

Lathe slowly moved to hug Damien, still worried. “...I just… ...age doesn’t matter at this point, you’re still my son… and obviously you can look past age- look who you bonded to.” Lathe looked down, his voice still shaky. “I-I worry… because I wanted you t-to feel like family… and for so long I thought you weren’t gonna… gonna want anything t-to do with me… let alone us….” 

“I’m trying Dad, I promise, Damien’s still pretty new to the family… I’ll be able to call him that soon. I still feel like your son, Dad, believe me, I feel like I’m very much part of this family.” Levi looked over to Eren where he was sleeping, surrounded by just as many pups.  _ He’s beautiful… I miss seeing his beautiful everything…. _

Lathe looked down as one of the smaller pups whined, smiling as he saw Nene tumble from the pile and immediately go to paw at her Dad, going to gently scoop her up, holding her between the two of them. “....just…” 

Damien reached to gently pet Nene, his other hand sneaking to gently pet Lathe’s hair as well, smiling as Lathe visibly relaxed.  _ Good.  _ “...I know I’m still new to the equation… ...but I really do hope I get to the coveted Dad status. And you don’t have to call me Pops like a kid in the fifties, whatever you want is fine whenever you feel like it.”  _ It’s okay. Even if we already have a house full of pup, take your time…  _

Levi looked back to Damien and Lathe, seeing Nene. “Do you want to leave her here? Maybe cook up another batch of pups?” He chuckled when he saw Lathe’s red face, smiling for a moment before immediately looking up when his youngest started to chuff, and a few of the older siblings waking up in response.  _ Oh fuck, she figured out how to do that already? _

The tiny pup lifted their sleepy head, yapping at him.  _ You talk loud…  _ They dropped right back down, the pile settling down as everyone rearranged and fell asleep again.  _ Sleeeeeep….  _

Damien blushed, rolling his eyes and gently setting Nene down after they both gave her kisses, letting her meander back to the piles. “Maybe we will.”

“Damien!” Lathe was scarlet down his neck, trapped by Damien’s arm around his middle.  _...that sounds  _ **_really_ ** _ nice, but not in front of  _ **_him_ ** _!! _

_  
“Get out of here, we’ll keep them safe.” Levi closed his eyes as he listened to the pile slowly started to fall into purrs and croons. _ Do they normally sleep with Eren? And just Eren? ….no wonder I always sleep alone… ….and I never thought to join him…  _ Levi slowly fell asleep, comfortable and warm with all the pup on top of him. _

 


	26. Shaky Relationship

He woke up early in the morning to a soft whimper, his youngest whining hungrily.  _ Oh, shit.  _ “Honeys? Can we move a little bit?” Levi very slowly tried to move, the pile waking up and the room filling with quiet whines and annoyed huffs as they redistributed over Eren.  _ ….whelp, now his food source is blocked.  _ “Let’s get you some formula, honey.” 

 

Eren started to wake up, groaning with his body feeling like lead.  _ Huh?  _ “L-Levi?” His voice sounded harsh as he tried to speak, hearing the whines from his pups and feeling them shuffle around.  _ What’s going on?  _

 

Levi looked down as he heard Eren, smiling softly. “Eren, honey? How do you feel?” 

 

“Tired……..” Eren gasped his eyes widening as he almost shot up to sit up, the pups moving their heads off of him to curl up in a pile.  _ I didn’t wash them last night…. fuck…  _ Eren looked around in the room he was in and felt tears spring up.  _ Fuck, I had to fucking fall asleep… shit…  _ “I’m sorry I fell asleep so early… where’s our pup?”  _ She’s gotta be starving, she’s gotta eat... _

 

“She’s right here, I’ll fill you in if you want to feed her.” Levi handed her over to be fed, sitting down next to the pile, chuckling as some of the pups that had left his pile cams right back, petting them gently.  _ Sleep.  _ “I made sure everyone was fed enough last night, Finnick had a little trouble because the ball wasn’t in his food, and he got sick, but he managed to eat slowly enough the second try to keep it all down. I had to call Lathe and Damien for help, but we got everyone a bath… even our little pup… and we’re also babysitting Lathe and Damien’s pups at the moment. I was going to make her formula because I didn’t want to wake you up.”  _ You need all the sleep you can get.  _

 

Eren shook his head pulling up his shirt and helping her to clamp on to suckle. “Don’t give her formula…. she’s not big enough yet…” _She’s adorable and small…_ _but I can tell she’s gonna be growing slow because she didn’t get any bigger last night..._

 

“I thought about digging out the little syringes, I thought they’d work. She’s really small, I wasn’t about to give her a full bottle and make her try to drink it like that.” Levi smirked.  _ Nah, that wouldn’t work.  _

 

“No, I don’t want her on formula yet, I want her to stay on breast milk.” Eren murmured although quietly, looking down and away.  _ He probably settled me with the pups… or Dad did…. Dad probably did…  _ He shut himself up as the youngest drank.  _ Today is just gonna be a headache, I can tell.  _

 

“Okay.” Levi laid back, smiling at the small flood of pups that moved to say hi. “So much pup… Dad moved you in here with me and the pups last night. They were all properly snuggled, don’t worry. And I can help with breakfast too.”  _ I’m gonna fix this whole mess I got us into.  _

 

Eren looked at Levi with wide eyes until he heard Lathe being mentioned.  _ Right…. Dad came to help him do everything because he had no idea what was going on…  _ Eren seemed to deflate almost instantly. “I’ll be down soon for breakfast, you can start waking them up and herding them downstairs…”

 

“Okay. Come on, honeys.” Levi gently nudged all the pups, getting up to turn on the dim light in the corner, smiling as some of the pups got up and trotted over to sit right next to him.  _ Aw.  _ “It’s time to wake up. You don’t wanna miss breakfast, do you?” That line got the rest of the pups’ attention, soon leading a herd down the stairs, going nice and slow so the small pups could take it one step at a time. He smiled as Nene whined at the top of the stairs, one of the bigger pups picking her up by her scruff and carrying her down. “Thank you, Major. Magnus.” He smiled as the youngest triplet also picked up a struggling pup, chuckling as Maximus helped one along. “All three of you.”  _ My triplets…  _ Levi looked down as there was a sudden cry, Nene going to Levi’s foot as soon as she was set down, leaning against his foot.  _ Aw…  _ “I’m here, honey….” Levi scooped her up and set her in the pouch still slung around his shoulders, smiling as she inspected the roomy compartment before trying to lick his face. Levi lifted her up to let her, kissing her head as he walked them into the roomy living room nest. He made sure all of them made it, counting heads, plus Lathe’s kids.  _ Alright. Breakfast.  _ He turned around, thinking.  _...hm.  _ He went to the recipe folder on the counter, opening it.  _ Eren always has his nose buried in this thing. And I know the kids upstairs in the bunks get more time to sleep…. Let’s see…  _ He found a waffle batter recipe that looked rather good, going to get the fruit out of the fridge for the toppings first.  _ Fruit first.  _

 

Eren was exhausted as he came down holding his youngest close to his chest, coming to the kitchen and trying not to gasp.  _ He’s…. he’s covered in red? Is that blood! Holy shit what did you do!?  _ Eren quickly came closer, sighing in relief when he realized it was strawberries.  _ Oh thank god.  _ “Levi…. I can take it from here…” His voice was small as he cooed to the pup in his hands.  _ We need to figure out what to name you…. _

 

“It’s okay, I’ve already been tattooed with fruit. Can you make the actual waffle mix? I want to help; it’s a lot to do for breakfast.”  _ I can help.  _

 

“Can you wash up and make formula?”  _ I’ll make breakfast…  _ Eren’s voice was still small and quiet and he seemed even smaller in his lanky form, his head down. He got everything out without even bothering to look at the recipe.  _ I’ll make it... _

 

Levi slowly nodded, cleaning off his hands and going to make formula, soon coming into the nest with a syringe. “Okay…” He smiled as Nene started to squirm like hell once she saw the food, cradling her and beginning to feed her.  _ Good pup.  _

 

Eren was silent as he mixed everything together in a very large bowl to make the batter. He got out the waffle iron and started to make the waffles.  _ He’s…. he’s staying home? He must… he thinks I fucked up… doesn’t he?  _

 

Levi let Nene stay on his shoulder as he fed the rest of the tiny pups, happy as the pups crawled all over him and nuzzled him affectionately.  _ ….I love them…  _ Levi pet the pups, both Lathe’s and his own, smiling.  _ I love them so much….  _

 

Eren was quiet, trying not to think about anything in particular as he kept his head down, making waffle after waffle. He jumped when he felt a hand on his shoulder, looking up to Fredrick with wide and glassy eyes.  _ Huh? _

 

“Mom? Are you okay?” His voice softly hushed as he saw the broken look in Eren’s eyes. 

 

“Yeah-”

 

“You’re not really fine… are you?” 

 

Eren paused before answering, swallowing thickly before shaking his head.  _ No… I’m not okay, but it’ll be fine, we’ll get breakfast then everyone can go to school... _

 

Frederick moved to hug Eren around the middle, leaning his cheek on his shoulder. “I’m sorry, Mom…” He looked up, his voice quiet. “....are you and Dad fighting?” 

 

Eren was shaking rather horribly as he started to sniffle. “I-I…. I don’t know… probably…”  _ He’ll wanna kick me out soon, won’t he?  _ He sniffled as he continued to make waffles, getting plates out for the older kids to eat first since their schooling started first.  _ Need to get everyone fed.  _

 

“...Mom?” Frederick looked helplessly back to Levi. “Dad…?”  _ Help…  _

 

Levi looked up, immediately getting up and setting Nene along with her siblings, going to gently hug Eren from behind. “Eren, love, it’s okay… it’s okay, honey….”  _ Please don’t be upset.:. Don’t be scared…  _ “Would you rather go be with the kids? Maybe for a little, take a break?” 

 

Eren froze as he was hugged from behind, tears starting to fall freely as his face grew hot. “I-I’m s-sorry… I’ll get the kids r-ready…”  _ Oh shit, I didn’t make lunches last night fuck…  _ He almost seemed to shrink in on himself more as he felt all their eyes on him.  _ They’re watching me… I need to be a good mom for them…  _

 

Levi stopped him, turning Eren to gently kiss his cheeks, hugging him gently. “Eren, go ahead and call the kids upstairs to get ready and get down here to eat. I’ll keep making breakfast, and once the kids upstairs are woken up, you can come down to put together lunches if that works? We’ll work together.”  _ It’s okay.  _

 

Eren looked like a small helpless child as he nodded with tears in his eyes, his scent almost completely reined in from the putrid smell it would normally be, the entire house almost completely free of his scent. He slowly made his way to the stairs to make his way up them.  _ I’m being a bad omega for Alpha… I should’ve had all this done and settled... _

 

Levi looked worried as Eren left, turning to continue cooking, working to fill a covered platter with hot waffles, getting part of the counter cleared quickly to set down stuff buffet-style, filling the bowls for fruit part of the way.  _ I can keep working while the waffles cook.  _

 

Eren sniffled as he barely was able to do more than shake everyone awake, the eldest kids looking concerned for him but he simply brushed it off and pointed downstairs.  _ I don’t think I’d be able to talk without breaking down.  _ He didn’t realize that his ears had popped out and were tightly pinned to his head.  _ I need to keep my scent in, otherwise all the pups are gonna start crying too…  _

 

Levi looked up as the older kids flooded downstairs, setting out plates. “Waffles for breakfast- take what you want and eat what you take, okay?” He smiled softly, seeing their surprise and watching as the platter was mostly taken, immediately going to make more waffle batter.  _ I forget- the kids are black holes.  _ He looked up as there was a tug at his sleeve, his voice gentle. “Yes, Tucker?” 

 

“Is-Is Mom Okay? Um… me and Fredrick made lunches for everybody last night…”  _ I knew Mom was passed out… this is probably a really bad time to ask if I can stay at Henry’s… His scent keeps getting sweeter…  _

 

“Mom’s… it’s gonna be kinda hard on Mom for a little while… I’m gonna be home a lot more from now on, and it’s gonna take time to adjust… a lot of stuff is happening. Mom and I are gonna be a bit more emotional for a while, but we’re gonna be okay. Mom will be okay.” Levi smiled softly, kissing his head. “And thank you so much for taking care of lunch, honey. Really.”  _ It means a lot for you to help.  _ Levi saw a certain look in Tucker’s eyes, quirking an eyebrow. “Are you already thinking about what reward you’re gonna ask for?” 

 

“N-No Sir!” Tucker instantly stammered out as his face flushed, hurriedly scurrying away.  _ No it’s too embarrassing… even asking Mom to go over to his house is getting awkward…  _ He fled with a full plate, going to sit at the table and look out the window.  _ I wanna go see him, he’s probably gonna stay home from school today... _

 

Levi paused, rooted to the spot.  _... _ **_Sir?_ ** Levi left the kitchen, his voice gentle as he came over to where Tucker sat. “Tucker, honey…” Levi sat next to him, seeing the nerves in his body language and in his eyes as he looked up to him. “...Tucker… I know I’m not home much… and I know I can be in not great moods when I come home… but I’m not ‘Sir.’ I’m Dad. I’m so sorry I’m not Dad to you yet… but I want to be. ...and if there’s something you want, you did something great for the family. You deserve it. You can ask.”  _ It’s okay.  _

 

“Can… can I go over to Henry’s?”  _ I called him Sir… fuck me, and here I thought I was doing well with getting acclimated to him being home….  _ “It’s… it’s okay if I can’t, I know it’s a school night…”  _ Mom doesn’t let me go normally on school days.  _ Tucker’s scent was laced with a distinct musk, a dead giveaway that he’d be presenting as an alpha soon.  _ It’s getting warm out… is summer coming soon?  _

 

Levi could smell him easily, smirking. “I know it’s a school night, but as long as his parents are okay with it, of course you can. ...you’re going to present soon. I can tell. An alpha. And Henry’s going to be an omega, isn’t he?” 

 

Tucker blushed and nodded, looking down at his plate and trying to push his embarrassment away.  _ This is awkward… it’s like he doesn’t know who Henry is when he’s talking… who knows, he probably doesn’t.  _ “A-Are you going to work today?” 

 

“I’m going to be trying to work from home now, so I’ll be home for the most part now. It’s a sudden change, I know…. ...I’m sorry.” Levi sighed, looking at Tucker with sad eyes. “I don’t want to talk to you or about your friends like I’m a stranger… I’m so sorry I haven’t been more involved in your lives. ...but Henry really is a sweetheart. You be good to him, okay?” Levi stood, gently ruffling Tucker’s hair.  _ ….I’m sorry…  _

 

Tucker ducked his head down as his hair was ruffled, eating his waffle without another pause.  _ I’m hungry.  _

 

Eren watched the whole encounter from the kitchen, shaking like a leaf as he scurried back to make more waffles, the tray getting low as more kids had access to the food, and were eating. He also cut up some waffles for the pups that needed bowls to eat.  _ I’ll be a good omega for Alpha…. I’ll let Tucker go to Henry’s…. _

 

Levi came back into the kitchen, seeing how scared Eren was, slowly hugging Eren from behind and gently kissing his neck. “Tucker’s going to stay overnight at Henry’s… I know they’re sweet on each other, and they’re both about to present soon… I have a feeling about them… and Henry’s a good kid. I hope that’s okay with you.” Levi reached to gently pet him. “Tucker and Fredrick both made all the lunches for the kids today, they both deserve a reward…” 

 

Eren grew stiff in Levi’s hold, nodding and setting the last of the bowls down for the pups.  _ They’re all fed.  _ He looked to the iron as it buzzed and moved to pull out the waffle, putting it on a plate and holding it out shakily for Levi.  _ Alpha’s turn to eat… I’ll clean up…  _

 

Levi took the plate, gently kissing Eren’s cheek. “Make sure you make one for yourself too… you need to eat too. We can clean up when we’re done.”  _ It’s okay.  _

 

Eren turned away from Levi’s kiss, looking down as his heart was racing in his chest from pure panic, still managing to keep his scent reined in. He was silent as he started to clean up right there, snacking on some fruit as he gathered plates and other dishes to clean. 

 

Levi watched with heartbroken eyes, setting down his plate and gently catching Eren’s wrists. “Eren, love…” He turned him to himself, letting go and instead going to gently hug him, rubbing his back. “I’m sorry…. ...Eren, please, you need to eat… you’re so thin… have breakfast with me.” 

 

Eren shook his head, starting to cry all over again, letting some of his putrid scent slip during the moment of weakness.  _ Fuck… fuck… I can’t, I’m not hungry…  _ He let Levi rub his back, slowly relaxing against the touch, only shaking ever so slightly now instead of visibly.  _ Alpha wants me to eat…  _

 

Levi could smell him for a split second, going to very gently rub their necks together, keeping him close. “It’s okay if you’re not hungry… but I’m still worried about you… I just want you to be okay…” Levi kissed his cheek, petting him.  _ It’s okay.  _

 

Eren whimpered ever so slightly, slowly leaning into his chest and burying his face into his shirt.  _ Alpha’s worried…  _ He picked his head up as he heard the kids come down, everyone dressed in their uniforms and ready to go, getting their lunches all put together from the fridge.  _ They’re… they’re okay on their own… I should probably wait for Dad to come over before I do anything with his pups…  _

 

Levi crooned softly to Eren, smiling as he looked over to the kids at the fridge, Tucker handing out lunches to the ones behind him. “You all have a good day at school, okay? Tucker, are you coming home first? You need a bag with your stuff if you’re not.” He smiled as Tucker showed him a tote he’d had behind him. “Good. We’ll see you tomorrow, honey. The rest of you, text if you need anything, or if you make plans for after school, okay?” 

 

Eren watched them nod in agreement before leaving, making sure the younger kids were with them as well and with everything in their backpack, including their lunches.  _ They’re growing up, right in front of us…. Fuck, it’s because I’m not being a good omega… I’m not doing enough…  _

 

Levi made sure they all had their homework, giving them all kisses on their head before sending them off, well-fed and watered and ready for the day. He smiled, the house quiet except for one pup, napping in the now-empty nest in the living room. Levi went to catch Eren, hugging him gently, swaying with him slowly. “....I want to make things easier… and I want to be Dad….” Levi smiled softly. “They’re growing up right under our noses…. ...I don’t want to miss that anymore.”  _ I love them…. I want to be a good dad for them.  _

 

Eren sniffled and nodded quietly.  _ What changed? I’m not allowed to ask that, am I? I just… I’m supposed to accept him back, aren’t I?  _ He swallowed thickly as they swayed, his hackles immediately raised when he heard a soft whimper.  _ Time for more food…  _ Eren pulled himself from Levi’s arms and went right to the living room, stripping his shirt and bringing the pup right up to one of his breasts.  _ She needs to eat... _

 

Levi followed, blushing when he saw Eren feeding their daughter, going to fix up his now-cold waffle, eating quietly at the counter.  _ ….I love him… a lot…  _

 

Eren let her suckle, smiling softly as she purred, calming down.  _ Today’s Thursday… I didn’t tell the kids they have off tomorrow yet… but they’ll be surprised tomorrow I guess… Levi’s probably going back into work today soon, even if he says he’s gonna work from home… where’s he gonna work? We don’t have office space in this house.  _ Eren stayed silent as he watched her suckle, a drop running down her chin every now and then. 

 

Levi soon had his phone out, deciding to make a call.  _ I need to let my secretary know there’s a change in plans.  _

 

Eren could hear Levi talking on the phone, sighing quietly and feeling around his neck.  _ My marks are gone… he never really left any to begin with… I can’t even tell if he’s really interested…  _ He sighed, sinking down into the nest but making sure that his pup had adequate feeding space. 

 

Levi hung up after about ten minutes, smirking and putting it on silent.  _ She has very explicit and clear instructions, it’ll be fine.  _ Levi soon meandered into the nest, deciding to lie down next to Eren, going to gently kiss and lick at his neck. “....I love you…”  _ I don’t tell you enough…  _

 

Eren shuddered as Levi licked his neck, groaning for a moment and switching which breast his pup was feeding from. “Did….. Did you wanna name h-her?” His voice sounded hoarse and unsteady as he looked down to his little fluff ball.  _ I’ll let you name her…. you probably want to name her anyways... _

 

“I want her to have a name, yes… what do  **you** want to name her?” Levi looked up at him with gentle eyes, his arms wrapped around him.  _ I’ve got you.  _

 

Eren clammed up as he looked down and away.  _ I’ve practically named every kid we have…. minus a few…  _ “I think you should name her, Levi…” His voice was small as he looked away from him and to their pup again.  _ Is gonna need to go soon, isn’t he?  _

 

Levi looked down at her, gently petting her head. “....is Mila okay?”  _ I want that to be her name… but I want you to like it too…  _

 

Eren nodded immediately, gently petting her head as she finished eating, reaching to detach himself from Levi and reaching for his shirt.  _ I need to cover myself up… I shouldn’t be too indecent… he’ll get ideas, I don’t want more kids, we have enough as it is… I’m tired, but I need to watch the pup…  _

 

Levi caught Eren instead, his voice soft as his lips ghosted his shoulder blades. “Eren, before you try to put your shirt back on… how does a massage sound?”  _ I want to take care of my mate….  _ Levi looked down at the word, seeing the faint marks.  _...fuck… I can’t even  _ **_mate_ ** _ right…  _

 

Eren froze where he was looking to his pup before nodding and moving to instead settle her on a pillow.  _ Mila… her name is Mila…  _ He sighed quietly as he laid down on two soft pillows to keep his chest from hurting as he laid with a bare back.  _ He wants to massage me? This is…. new…. _

 

Levi smiled as Eren laid down, kissing his head before going upstairs to get lotion, coming right back and straddling him, coating his hands in lotion and careful as he began, pressing deeply into his back.  _ You’re gonna thank me for this later… but hate me at the present moment.  _

 

Eren’s eyes widened instantly, his grip tightening on the sheets below him as he held in a whimper.  _ Alpha offered to massage me… I can’t back out…. even if it really hurts… shit.  _ He closed his eyes before the tears could form, gripping into the sheets.  _ It really fucking hurts, holy shit... _

 

Levi felt him immediately tense up, his touch becoming very gentle in a second. “I’m so sorry, Eren, are you okay?” Levi moved to gently kiss his neck, pressing in, not nearly as hard. “Is this better?” 

 

Eren could still feel the sting in every movement, his grip a little looser, but managing to relax.  _ Alpha does mean it right? He’s not trying to hurt me, is he? Is he trying to get rid of me?  _ “Y-yeah…” His voice shaky as he turned his head to watch Mila, and try to calm down. 

 

Levi nodded slowly, moving the pillow Mila was on closer so that Eren could reach her as he massaged. He was careful as he started to work on Eren’s shoulders, deeply pleased with the loud moan it earned him.  _ Damn…  _

 

_ Fuck… what if he gets any ideas?  _ He couldn’t help but moan again as Levi worked through a knot near the back of his neck, shuddering when his vulnerable spot was touched.  _ If he wants it I can’t say no, can I? I should be happy he’s looking at me and not at a computer screen right now... _

 

Levi felt himself grow warm at the beautiful sounds, his musk growing a bit stronger, the scent slowly drifting into the room. “....you sound so wonderful like this, Eren…” Levi continued to work, occasionally leaning down to kiss and nip at his shoulders and neck.  _ You’re mine… all mine.  _

 

Eren could smell Levi’s musk, feeling dread start to coil in his chest.  _ He’s… he wants to have more doesn’t he?  _ He struggled to stay calm and pliant in his hands.  _ Is he gonna do it right here? Mila’s asleep….  _

 

Levi felt Eren twitch, his voice soft when he caught a whiff of a sour scent. “Eren, it’s okay…. I don’t want to force myself on you, I’m not trying to… I just…. you’re beautiful and you sound wonderful….. I don’t want sex, and I don’t want anything from you in return… I just really love you….”  _ I love you…  _

 

Eren was silent and tried to rein in his scent.  _ Love?  _ He swallowed thickly, looking over his shoulder to Levi. “I-I’m sorry…”  _ He…. he hasn’t said that in such a long time... _

 

“It’s okay…. ...I haven’t been around to show you much love…. but I’m always going to love you…”  _ I really am…  _

 

Eren shook his head, looking down and reaching for his shirt. “I’m going… I’m going to go to the store… I need to get groceries…”  _ It’ll get me away from him… I don’t know if I should stay home with him…  _

 

Levi looked worried, slowly nodding. “If you’re sure… you just gave birth, honey, if you’d rather relax at home and be with the pup you can… just send me with a list and make me run all the errands…. if you want….”  _ It’s okay…  _ Levi moved off of him, letting him cover up.  _ ….I’m sorry.  _

 

Eren looked back at him for a split second before nodding and getting up to go to the kitchen to start making a list.  _ It gets him out of the house… and I’ll be alone…  _ He looked over towards the living room where Mila was resting, shaking his head and focusing on the list.  _ I can’t think about that… not anymore... _

 

Levi looked to the pup as they slept, gently picking her up and cradling her to his chest, kissing her head. “....she’s beautiful….”  _ I love her… so much…  _ Levi laid back, relaxing with the sleepy pup on his chest.  _ ….ours….  _

 

Eren came back with the list, about to open his mouth but instead shaking his head and going to hide back in the kitchen.  _ I should just go… I was gonna go anyways…  _ He swallowed thickly as he scratched at his wrists, moving to grab his bag and set of keys.  _ I can leave pretty quietly…  _ His hand was on the door handle, slowly turning it as he looked to the red lines he scratched into his skin.  _ I need to stop doing that… I have another litter to take care of…  _

 

Levi looked up as he heard the door open, standing and going to where Eren was trying to sneak out. “Babe…?” Levi paused, reaching to gently hug him, holding out Mila. “It’s okay if you’d rather go… but you can say goodbye…” 

 

Eren stiffened as he was hugged but looked to the sleepy Mila, gently reaching up to her and kissing her head. “I-I’ll be home soon, Mila…” He stuttered and looked away from Levi as he opened the door and stepped outside.  _ I’ll take awhile, my license ran out months ago…………. That’s fine, it’s only a mile and a half… He’ll probably like it if I lose weight.  _

 

Levi smiled softly, closing the door after him. He gently bounced Mila, coaxing her back to sleep and meandering around the house.  _ I’ll clean up in a minute… I wanna hold my baby…  _ He looked out the front window, frowning when he saw Eren walking down the street.  _...the fuck?  _ Levi went outside, calling after him. “Eren? Honey? Why are you walking?”  _ You can’t walk the whole way to the store... _

 

Eren stopped in his tracks as he was called.  _ Fuck, am I supposed to tell him? He’s gonna freak out…  _ “I’ll be able to c-carry it a-all…”

 

“...you’re going to carry home enough groceries to feed more than forty kids?” Levi looked shocked, gesturing back to the truck. “Why not take the truck, put the groceries in the bed?” 

 

Eren looked down twiddling his thumbs.  _ I can’t drive….  _ “I-I’ll be fine… p-promise…”  _ I should take the wagon… that would help me with the groceries…  _

 

“....Eren…” Levi walked over to him, his voice soft as he still carried the sleeping pup. “What’s wrong? You can tell me… really.”  _ Why won’t you drive? _

 

“I-I…. I can’t drive anymore….”  _ My license is expired… and you’re never home in time to take me to the DMV… and the kids are always at school, even the ones that can drive… _ He looked down still, keeping the back of his neck splayed in submission to him.  _ I didn’t want to bother you… you were so angry when you came home that one time too… I didn’t want you angry at me... _

 

“....what? Why not?” Levi looked worried, confused. “Is your license suspended? Did something happen while you were driving?”  _ Tell me…  _ His voice was gentle, stopping a few feet away from him.  _ I don’t want to crowd you…  _

 

“It’s…. it’s expired…” Eren’s voice was quiet as he looked down at his feet.  _ We don’t really need it… I usually go grocery shopping with Dad and he drives… a few of the kids have used it every now and then… but I don’t leave the house unless it’s groceries... _

 

“Oh… we can go get it renewed today if you want.”  _ We can do that.  _ Levi cradled their pup close, his look gentle. “You need that… it’s important. I’m not about to make you walk for groceries.”  _ It’s okay.  _

 

Eren shook his head, keeping it lowered and his eyes trained on his feet.  _ I haven’t driven in months.  _ “It’s… It’s okay L-Levi…” His body was shaking ever so slightly as he heard footsteps coming towards them at a fast pace, bracing but only hearing them go on the grass and around them.  _ We’re blocking the sidewalk.  _

 

Levi sighed, gently reaching his hand out in offering. “Do you want to see if Lathe can babysit Mila? You should have an up-to-date license… for groceries, for retrieving kids…. anything. If today isn’t a good day, that’s okay…. but then at least we should go together and I can drive… ..whatever you want to do, honey…”  _ It’s okay.  _

 

Eren looked at the hand he could see as he lifted his head an inch.  _ He wants to go with me… Okay…  _ “Y-Yeah… o-okay…” He took the slightest step forward to retrieve his pup, about to reach out for her but bringing his hands back to his chest to curl up to himself.  _ He probably wants to hold her, he won’t give her back, will he?  _

 

Somewhere nearby, a man’s head looked up from a laptop, setting down knitting.  _ Something’s  _ **_really_ ** _ wrong…  _ The head popped out of their front door, looking around, seeing the two men on the sidewalk. “...Eren?” Lathe ran out across the yard without his socks, not caring, stopping a few feet away, seeing Eren’s panic.  _ ….oh no…  _ “Levi, gimme.” Lathe held out his hands for the pup, keeping his eyes on Eren as he received her, coming over to Eren and gently setting her in his arms, pulling him close and gently pulling him to the ground in his lap. “It’s okay, honey… it’s okay….” 

 

Eren’s breathing was becoming ragged as he kept his head down, his whole body shaking as his panicking started, his scent quickly starting to spread around, smelling of rotten milk and soured cheese.  _ He’s…. He’s not supposed to stay home, why’d he still here? He’s supposed to be at work…  _ He whimpered as his ears and tail popped into existence, his tail tucked through his legs and against his stomach, his ears pinned.  _ He says he loves me… but then why’s he gone all the time... _

 

“It’s okay, honey, it’s okay, you’re safe… we can work it all out, okay? Daddy’s here… it’s okay…” Lathe gently pet him, smiling softly as Mila woke up and whined, licking Eren’s chin.  _ She’s so cute…  _ “You’re gonna be okay, Eren… you and your pup will be just fine…” 

 

Eren’s eyes were slowly becoming glassy  as he leaned against Lathe’s chest, not really registering the attention he was receiving.  _ My fingers feel numb… so does my arm and my legs…  _

 

Levi looked helpless, kneeling next to him, leaning against Eren.  _ I need to help…  _ He moved to slowly rub their necks together, his musk seeping into Eren’s scent, feeling Eren’s breathing slowly evening out.  _ …..it’s okay…  _

 

Eren took awhile to relax, his scent finally sweetening with Levi’s musk added to it. His breathing finally evened out as he looked down at Mila in his lap with still glassy eyes.  _ My chest hurts… and I feel numb again…. fuck, I had a panic attack... _

 

Mila looked up at him, her tiny tail wagging when she saw Eren smile faintly.  _ Hi Mommy…  _ Mila bonked her head into his stomach, yapping.  _ I love you. No sad!  _

 

Lathe chuckled, smiling softly as Eren sniffled. “Do you wanna come inside, Eren? I’ll make you tea and we can sit somewhere comfy and be warm for a bit? Talk, if you want to?”  _ It’s okay….. my baby…..  _

 

Eren nodded, looking down to the ground and knowing for a fact he wouldn’t be able to walk.  _ Fuck… my legs feel like jello… I can’t do that…  _ He whimpered, his ears perking a bit as he felt Levi take his wrist and run it against his scent gland, his whole body shuddering.  _ That feels… I like it… He hasn’t scented me in months… the nests don’t smell like him anymore… and neither does our bedroom... _

 

Levi watched him shiver, gently scooping Eren up, letting his scent out. “Hope it’s okay if your living room smells like us…” 

 

“Anything for my kids.” Lathe smiled softly, opening the door for them and watching as Levi immediately went to settle Eren in the nest, moving Mila to a little pocket of the nest so he could focus on thoroughly scenting Eren.  _ They haven’t smelled like each other in a  _ **_very_ ** _ long while... _

 

Eren’s glassy eyes dilated as he opened them, looking down at his lap and struggling to move his fingers, his body limp and pliant as Levi started to scent all over him.  _ He’s… he’s actually scenting me… he doesn’t smell like his secretary for once... _

 

Levi gently moved to hold his hands, bringing his wrists up to scent those too, kissing the palms.  _ It’s okay.  _ Levi laced their fingers, his voice soft. “I’m so sorry, Eren…. ...I love you… it…. it worries me so much to see you like this….”  _ I’m scared.  _

 

Eren looked at him with glassy eyes, sniffling a bit. “You… you never say that anymore… you’re always angry when you come home….” His voice was quiet as tears started to form, shifting to snuggle closer to him, his nose buried in his neck and relaxing instantly.  _ His scent…. I missed his musk. _

 

“I’m always in a bad mood when I come home because of some dumb employee or another, and I couldn’t get a good secretary even if I paid an arm and a leg… it was never about you. I’m so sorry I let work come home with me and hurt you.”  _ I should never have let that happen.  _ Levi kept Eren’s head in the crook of his neck, feeling him relax.  _ It’s okay.  _

 

Lathe moves quietly in the background, getting his own pouch on and scooping up Mila, setting her inside while he went to make tea.  _ My baby…  _ He kept a careful eye on the two of them, not interfering.  _ I’ll make food… food will help. I know Eren and food have a love-hate relationship.  _

 

Eren sniffled, curling up closer to him and tangling himself around Levi, like a koala. “Y-You always sm-smelled like your Secretary too… you never smelled like me…”  _ You haven’t scented me in well over three litters... _

 

“...I’m so sorry… I was always around that Secretary because shit always kept going wrong, and I spent too long helping her coordinate shit that should’ve been done by herself. I… I don’t know how I didn’t notice your scent wasn’t on me, or around me… ...it’s… it’s nice to have it again.”  _ I like it… a lot…  _

 

“I thought you were cheating… your mark faded a long time ago, but you never noticed…”  _ It’s not a proper mark… _ Eren sniffled as he felt Levi’s hands run up and down his back, unable to contain the pleased purr.

 

Levi smiled softly as Eren purred, his eyes sad as he spoke. “Eren, I’d  **never** cheat on you… you’ve given us beautiful gifts, and you’ve worked so hard for us… I’ve loved you for a very long time… and I’m so sorry I’ve been so shitty at making sure you know… ….we’ll fix that bond mark… when our heat and rut come along, we can fix that… if you’ll allow me to.” Levi gently kissed his neck, happy to smell his sweetening scent.  _...he smells  _ **_really_ ** _ good…  _

 

Eren shook his head as he sniffled. “I don’t want more pups, Levi…. I’m tired… so tired, all the time…”  _ I don’t want anymore…. not for a long time..  _ “I don’t want to have another heat anytime soon…” He nuzzled his face into Levi’s neck further, trying to take in all of his scent.  _ I wanna take suppressants… but I’m still breastfeeding.  _

 

“You can’t take suppressants while you’re breastfeeding… we’ll have you take birth control, we don’t need any more pups for a long while… I can help, Eren, really, I can…” Levi held onto him tightly. “I can help feed them and help keep them clean and happy and clothed… I can  **help** , Eren… you’re not alone. I’m so sorry I wasn’t there sooner.”  _ I’m so sorry.  _

 

Eren looked down shaking his head. “I don’t wanna have a heat…”  _ I don’t want to have sex… my heat’ll be coming soon, so don’t want to have sex, I don’t want to have pups… I barely want you touching me, but you smell too good to resist.  _

 

“......if you don’t want me for your heat…. ….I understand….” Levi felt a heaviness in his chest, his scent withdrawing.  _ ….I’m so sorry……  _

 

Eren whined instantly as he could tell his scent withdrew from around him, relying on instincts as he bit down on the scent gland at Levi’s neck without warning. The oils secreted made him go numb in a ball of purrs but also let his entire face be covered in it.  _ Mine… I want his scent on me… his scent makes me feel safe... _

 

Levi gasped and tried hard to choke down a moan, shuddering and crooning loudly to Eren, holding him even closer and letting him lap up all the oils he wanted.  _ Mate… my mate…  _ Levi pulled them flush, crooning to him, his hands all over him.  _...love my mate…  _

 

Eren continued to bite and lick at the gland, not caring if he was smearing Levi’s blood all over his neck as he spread the oils around.  _ My mate… he’s mine, he’s safe.  _ He erupted into a chorus of purrs, and chuffs directed to Levi, his omega happy that he was covered in his scent. 

 

Lathe sighed as he smelled and heard what was going on, coming into the living room. “Levi.” Lathe looked him dead in the eyes, his tone serious. “I’ll keep your pup safe if you’re gonna go home and get reacquainted, but if Eren doesn’t want something for even a split second, and you try to make him, I’ll have your head on a plaque over the fireplace. Are we clear?” 

 

Levi immediately nodded, turning back to Eren and scooping him up, happy with legs around his waist and an ass in his hands.  _ Mm, bubbly…  _ He carried Eren out the front door, meandering home with his prize, nipping up and down his neck.  _ I love my mate…  _

 

Eren warbled in confusion as he looked around to their changing surroundings. His eyes had a feral look in them as they made it home and upstairs to their nest room.  _ My nest? Alpha brought me to my nest? Is he gonna make my nest smell like him?  _

 

Levi kicked the door shut, lying Eren down in the nest, immediately rubbing their necks together, crooning to calm his mate as he let out his musk.  _ It’ll smell like us, don’t worry….  _

 

Eren purred, looking at the markless side of Levi’s neck, reaching for his head and leaning forward to grab him.  _ Mine…  _ Eren bit right down into his other gland, crushing that one as well and purring even louder.  _ My head feels fuzzy.  _

 

Levi moaned, slumping and vibrating as he felt the bond forming, shoving his wrists up to offer them.  _ Bond me… please….  _

 

Eren groaned as he felt them getting closer and closer together, biting at Levi’s wrists before pawing at his pants to get at his thighs.  _ Want Alpha… want Alpha…  _ His eyes were glowing as he let his tail pop out once more, wagging it as he rolled into his side.  _ Want Alpha… more of alpha… alpha let bond get weak… need better bond. _

 

Levi immediately stripped, feeling Eren push him down, excited as the omega settled between his legs.  _ My omega’s gonna bond with me…. my omega loves me….  _ He felt Eren crush one of the glands on the inside of his thigh, crying out with bliss as he lapped at the soft flesh, unable to help from crying as Eren crushed the last gland, instantly cumming as a wave of bliss crashed over him.  _ Oh god… sooooo good…  _

 

Eren looked at him with hazy eyes, moving to lick him clean and stretch himself out on the side of him. He chuffed happily at his vampire, enjoying the abundance of his scent in the room.  _ Mine, my Alpha, no one else’s... _

 

Levi immediately responded as Eren called for him, rolling over to kiss and suck at Eren’s neck, beginning to tug at his clothes.  _ Want bond, wanna bond with my mate…  _

 

Eren let him tug at the clothes, letting him tug them off, letting him suck and nibble at his bare skin.  _ Alpha’s marking me.  _ He purred, letting Levi move him around, not at all concerned by his naked state.  _ Alpha is gonna mark all over me.  _

 

Levi let his hands and lips wander, instinctively moving to slot their hips together, ready to slip inside, his length dripping precum.  _ I want him… so bad….  _

 

Eren felt him slotting their hips, and felt his length against his ass. His purrs quickly turned to hisses in response, pursuing him away and clawing at him.  _ No, no sex… no want, Alpha’s bad… Alpha needs to be good first… _

 

Levi immediately pulled back, his eyes wide.  _ No sex? ...okay.  _ Levi laid down near his feet, slowly moving up his body, kissing and touching all over him, crooning softly.  _ I’ll be good… I’ll be really good…  _

 

Eren didn’t mind stretching himself out like a cat for Levi to touch, making sure that he stayed far away from his entrance, hissing and swatting when his hands got too close.  _ Alpha’s hands feel nice.  _ He didn’t mind that their minds were connected with the stronger bond, purring when Levi started to scent him all over and cover him. 

 

Levi pressed against him, happy to cover him in his thick musk, soon rolling around in the nest with him, their mixed scents floating around the room, sinking into the sheets.  _ Ours.  _ Levi soon caught Eren, keeping him close to kiss him deeply.  _ I love my mate so much…  _

 

Eren kissed him deeply, curling up to him happily as he was held. He was happy to lounge around staying in his mostly feral state for the rest of their time alone. His ears twitched as he heard the front door open with a jingle of keys.  _ Pups?  _

 

Levi’s head picked up, getting up.  _ Pups are home.  _ “I’m gonna wash up and get the pups taken care of…” Levi went to wash the blood off of his skin in the adjoining bathroom, dressing in comfortable clothes, finding Lathe in the doorway, having let the kids inside with a spare key. “Thanks, La- uhm… Dad.”  _ Dad.  _

 

Lathe smiled, his eyes widening as he saw the bond marks.  _ Oh  _ **_wow._ ** “.....is Eren…?”

 

Levi shook his head, rubbing the back of his neck. “No, he didn’t want to go that far… but this bond… it’s so much better than the one that faded.”  _ So, so much better… I can feel him, and he’s a lot more responsive.  _ “He’s still got his instincts driving everything….” 

 

“I’m so glad you two are a bit more in touch… ...and give him a bit more time for the entire bond… you two went nuts for each other's scents, which explains the easy bonds, but the vampire bond I know is a lot harder… and permanent. Just… make sure that when the time comes, both of you truly are ready, okay?”  _ Take your time.  _

 

Levi nodded, looking at all the kids shuffling around and upstairs getting their uniforms off.  _ Well, I don’t know what we’re gonna do for dinner… we never went grocery shopping, and I’m not sure if I should leave Eren alone.  _ “I’ll make sure he’s ready, it’s be hard on him…. but I want to make him mine… truly mine.” 

 

Lathe nodded, smiling. “I know. Be patient, and you’ll get there. Now. There was an incident on the sidewalk, and I think it was Eren trying to walk to the grocery store…?” He watched Levi nod, sighing and smiling faintly. “If you need to go get food for dinner to feed the kids, I’ll stay here and keep an eye on everything at the moment.”

 

Levi nodded, the next few hours a blur.

  
  



	27. Broken Hearts

Levi nodded, the next few hours a blur. He had taken the list and gone shopping, Lathe keeping the kids from killing each other until he was home. Then, it was two of them cooking dinner, Lathe more than happy to help if it got his own kids fed as well. Levi looked up when he heard heavy footsteps, seeing Eren meandering down in loose pajamas.  _ Those are the lazy day pajamas.  _ “Hi, babe… how’s my mate feeling?” Levi moved to hug him, pecking his cheek.  _ I love you.  _

 

Eren was a mess of purrs instantly, his ears perked through his hair, and his tail wagging ever so slightly. His eyes were still glazed over as he opened them to look up to Levi, drunk off his pheromones and being so suddenly surrounded by them.  _ Alpha’s home... _

 

Levi chuckled softly, holding onto Eren as he purred, gently petting him.  _ I love him…  _ “Let’s get you comfy, honey… I’m making dinner with Dad, you don’t have to worry one bit…” Levi settled Eren in the nest, handing over a sleepy Mila and letting the tiny pups flock to him to curl up.  _ They’re happy that Mommy’s happy.  _

 

Eren purred, grabbing his hoodie and pulling it off to let Mila start suckling.  _ My pups… Alpha’s pups…  _ He whined a bit as Mila refused to suckle.  _ Pup? What’s wrong with pup… _ His ears pinned ever so slightly, trying to understand.  _ Want pup to suckle... _

 

Levi heard the whine, immediately coming back over, seeing Mila wiggling in Eren’s hands.  _ Ah.  _ “Come on, honey…” Levi stepped closer, gently petting Mila and gently kissing her head, both of them petting her before Levi gently nudged her back closer to suckle, sighing in relief as she finally did.  _ Pup.  _ “She’s just being a bit fussy.” 

 

Eren whined, looking a bit helpless, letting Mila suckle him. He watched Levi leave, whining as Mila stopped suckling, his scent soured a bit more, trying to get her to suckle once more.  _ Pup needs to eat... _

 

Levi sighed, looking over to Lathe. “Dad-”

 

“Go help.” Lathe smiled, taking over in the kitchen.  _ I am the dinner king. Down with salad! _

 

Levi nodded, going right back to the nest, settling in and picking up the tiny pup, both of them gently playing with her for a moment.  _ She’s still waking up a bit.  _ He decided after a few minutes that she seemed perkier, setting her down to suckle, the pup latching on for a second time.  _ Eat.  _

 

Eren watched, looking at Levi with weary eyes.  _ Alpha wants more… right?  _ He purred, showing off his neck for Levi.  _ I can smell food, is Dad making food?  _

 

“Dad is making food, yeah… I was helping for a while, but I want to be over her with you if that’s okay. …and we can wait a nice long while, Eren… we can wait for more.”  _ It’ll be a long time. We need to take care of the kids we have right now and make sure they’re all happy, and try to keep eachother from losing our minds.  _

 

Eren nodded and reached to pull Levi close, looking up as he heard the door click open.  _ Huh? Pup?  _ He looked up to see Tucker coming inside, smelling heat coming off of him.  _ Huh? But Pup’s an Alpha?  _

 

Levi looked up to see Tucker, smelling Henry on him. “....why aren’t you…” Levi immediately got to his feet, seeing the hurt in Tucker’s eyes.  _ Oh no… and  _ **_fuck_ ** _ , his scent is strong…  _

 

“I’m… I’m going to go in the basement to cool down, I feel really hot…” Tucker was trying to keep in tears as he headed to the basement.  _ Henry went into heat for the first time, and Casper had to call Scotty to man handle me out of the house and kick me to the curb.  _

 

Levi was shocked, immediately pulling out his phone.  _ What the fuck.  _ “ **Casper** -”

 

“Henry doesn’t have birth control!” Casper spoke before Levi could rant, getting a case of water upstairs and getting the scent blockers up. “I sent Scotty to the store to get Henry birth control but I needed him out of the house until then, and he wouldn’t listen! Just make Tucker stay put for the next twenty minutes and then they can be together, okay? I’m not trying to keep them apart!”  _ I’m trying to fix this!  _

 

“....wow. Thank you- I’ll let him mope for a little while longer before I tell him or it’ll be too hard to keep him from leaving immediately.”

 

“Sounds like a plan. Should  **I** let the school know, or…?”

 

“I can do it. Thanks.” Levi hung up, going to kiss Lathe’s cheek. “Tucker’s presented… but Casper just needed to send Scotty to get them birth control first.”

 

“And you’re letting him mope instead of telling him?” He watched him nod. “Solid plan.”

 

Eren looked worriedly towards the door to the basement.  _ My baby is presenting…. he has a mate to present with…  _ He looked down as Mila let go once more and looked around lazily.  _ Pup won’t eat much….. I want her to eat more…  _

 

Levi looked to Eren, coming back into the nest, sitting next to him. “Tucker and Henry can be together really soon, we’re just waiting on birth control… ...are you okay with that?”  _...I really hope you don’t have an issue with it….  _

 

Eren looked confused at the question, shaking his head and offering Mila to him. _ Pup need to eat! Fix.  _ He held out Mila to him, looking at him with hazy and concerned eyes.  _ Want pup to eat. There’s an Alpha downstairs….  _

 

Levi took the pup, kissing her head. “I gave her some formula about an hour ago, so she’s probably okay for right now. Pup ate plenty of food.” Levi pecked her head again, happy to set her on his chest and watch her meander around and sniff him.  _ My baby…  _ “....the alpha downstairs is Tucker, honey. He’s our son. He’s presenting, and he’s going to be with his omega in just a little bit. Don’t worry.”  _ It’s okay.  _

 

Eren felt a sense of dread kick in when Levi told him he fed her formula.  _ But… but pup supposed to drink my milk…. not…. not formula.  _ He whined loudly, trying to coax her to suckle from him again.  _ Pup supposed to feed from me! Not formula!  _

 

Levi was surprised, letting him have her back. “I’m sorry, you were asleep upstairs and she needed to eat. She won’t have formula anymore, she’ll just have milk now… I’m sorry…” Levi reached to gently pet Eren, his voice soft. “She’s full right now, Eren, but next time she needs to eat she can have milk, okay?” 

 

Eren nodded, purring as he was pet and moving to curl closer to him.  _ Pup okay?  _ He sniffed at Levi’s neck, purring as he took in his pheromones.  _ Alpha smells so good… _

 

Levi smiled, letting Eren smell him, petting him more, Mila between them. “Mhm, the pup’s all okay…” Levi wrangled Eren’s shirt on, holding them both close as pups swarmed around them.  _ I love them… my family….  _

 

Eren was a purring mess as his scent started to sweeten and a few of the pups tried to get closer to the sweeter scents on his glands.  _ Pups…. pups like sweet scents… want sugar.  _

 

Levi chuckled, his musk attracting quite a few pups of his own that wanted to smell him, Eren having many more. “....I think there’s a pattern here.”  _ More omegas than alphas… they’re so cute…  _

 

Eren purred, letting his scent get almost sickeningly sweet, his tail thumping lazily until a pup decided to lay on it and wrangle it.  _ More Alphas…. Alphas like the sweet scent of an omega… omegas like the musk of an alpha... _

 

Levi looked them over, smiling faintly and nodding. “...they’re all too cute… I love them…” Levi pet every pup that crawled over him, letting them nuzzle into his neck.  _ My babies….  _

 

Eren shuffled around to get comfortable with all the pups on him, quickly feeling warm.  _ Hot…. really hot… feel too hot.  _ Eren whined as he flicked his ears, his scent still sweet, fairly close to the scent of a heat.  _ Alpha loves pups?  _

 

“I do… let’s cool you down.” Levi shifted to move some of the pups to his sides and not right on top of him, hearing his phone buzz and glancing over. “I need to go tell Tucker he can go stay with his mate… one second, okay?” 

 

Eren nodded, wanting to whine as soon and he watched Levi leave his sight.  _ But… but want Alpha…  _

 

Tucker was laying against the cold concrete floor in the basement, panting as sweat was rolling down his back and sides.  _ Fuck it feels really weird… I don’t like this, it kinda hurts…  _

 

Levi knocked, poking his head downstairs. “Tucker, honey? Casper only sent you home because Henry didn’t have birth control yet. He has birth control now… you can go back to your mate. Henry’s waiting for you.”  _ Go get him.  _

 

Tucker’s eyes were dark as he looked at Levi with an angered look, practically growling at him.  _ There’s another Alpha here… I need to fight for Mate.  _ His eyes went red instantly, the rut taking over everything and one thing on his mind as he created claws instead of hands, scrambling for purchase to go after Levi. 

 

Levi immediately realized what was about to happen, shifting into his true form, easily grabbing Tucker’s wrists and overpowering him, hauling him upstairs and out the front door with some effort, still able to catch the faint scent of heat from down the street. “Go, Tucker, Henry’s waiting! Go!” Levi threw Tucker onto the lawn, staying on the porch, pointing to the house.  _ Go! He’s right there! _

 

Tucker skidded to a stop, his claws gripping at the ground as he looked at Levi with his piercing red eyes, growling loudly, struggling to pick up the scent of heat in his bloodlust. He stared in stalemate, knowing the alpha in front of him was much stronger. _ He’s got bonds…. Want Mate… mate will want winner…  _

 

Levi walked over to him, his voice firm. “I don’t want your mate. I have my own. I’ll bring you to  **your** mate.” Levi took his wrists, proceeding to drag him down the street.  _ I’ll get this train rolling.  _

 

Tucker was fighting the entire time, even going so far as to sink his teeth into Levi’s arm. He bit for pain, not for feeding, as he aggressively tried to get away but to no avail.  _ He’s getting closer to my mate…  _

 

**“CASPER!!”** Levi watched the front door swing open wide for them, unfazed by his son’s bite, dragging him straight into the house. “Where.” 

 

“Basement.”

 

Levi nodded and kept walking, getting them to the basement and opening the door, managing to get Tucker inside before shutting the door.  _ Done.  _

 

Tucker tumbled a few steps, managing to get his footing, looking around as his eyes grew wide with lust this time. He finally spotted Henry on a bed near the far corner, curled up on top of countless sheets and pillows.  _ Omega….  _ He crooned loudly, his entire body vibrating as he slowly made his way down the steps, tearing at his clothes in an attempt to get them off.  _ Mate... _

 

Henry immediately cried out as he heard croons, looking up and stretching out as Tucker came closer, reaching for him.  _ Want mate…. mate is here!  _ His scent grew sweeter to draw him in, relief flooding him when Tucker was finally in his arms, dissolving into purrs as he buried his nose in his neck, taking in his musk.  _ Mate smells  _ **_really_ ** _ good….  _

 

Tucker had torn his clothes off before racing to get to Henry’s side.  _ Mine, all mine…  _ He crooned louder as Henry dissolved into purrs, his scent getting him hard and starting to leak precum.  _ Want Mate, mate wants me, right?  _

 

Henry felt them press flush, beginning to vibrate with excitement.  _ My mate wants me?  _ His ears and tail popped into being, his tail wagging furiously.  _ I want my mate so much…. Want mate….  _

 

Tucker crooned happily, nuzzling him down into the blankets and looking to where he was already making slick.  _ My mate is slicking for me… Mate is ready…  _ He chuffed to Henry, not even realizing he had no idea what that particular sound would mean, calling for him in a language unknown.  _ Want Mate now…  _

 

Henry froze, warbling in confusion.  _ What? What’s wrong? Is mate not ready?  _ Henry looked worried and desperate, clinging to him tighter.  _ Need mate!! Be ready!! _

 

Tucker stopped when Henry froze, warbling in his own confusion. _ Mate? Mate not ready?  _ He flicked his ears back a bit, moving Henry with a little more force to flip him over and spread his legs.  _ Want Mate.  _

 

Henry gasped, his cries sounding like approval, his back arched to present himself.  _ Mate wants me… my mate wants me!!  _

 

Tucker looked to his entrance, seeing how slick he was.  _ Mine…  _ He grabbed his hips, situating himself behind him and slowly pressing his tip against his entrance.  _ Mine, all mine, my omega, no one else’s.  _ He chuffed to him loudly as he thrusted into Henry completely in one thrust. 

 

Henry felt Tucker slide in completely, his cry one of approval and mixed confusion, tensing up.  _ Why? Why sound?  _ Henry looked back at him, struggling to use his words. “...whah…. why sound?”  _ Is mate okay? _

 

Tucker’s ears perked as he looked to Henry, pressing his chest to his back and nibbling on his shoulder. “It….it’s a calling…. d-do you not…. do it?”  _ Am I doing something wrong? Dad did it all the time when Mom was in heat?  _

 

“M-Mom and Dad d-don’t…. Maybe… v-vampire thing?”  _ Maybe that’s what it is…  _ Henry relaxed, melting a bit with lips on his shoulder.  _ He’s all the way inside… ….I like it…  _

 

Tucker shrugged, pulling back and snapping his hips forward.  _ I want Mate to feel good.  _ He crooned and chuffed as he thrusted.  _ Feels nice... _

 

Henry gasped as Tucker started moving, hearing him chuff again.  _...maybe he would like that…  _ Henry thought, quietly chuffing himself, feeling Tucker’s hold on him tighten.  _ Alpha likes?  _ Henry was soon purring too much to chuff as Tucker kept moving, a puddle in his hands.  _ Alpha feels  _ **_really_ ** _ good…  _

 

Tucker kept up the pace as best as he could, trying not to crush Henry under him.  _ My mate, mate, take care of my mate… _

 

Henry felt his weight curved on top of him, gasping and whimpering as Tucker kept up the pace, his own length leaking precum on the sheet below him.  _ ….oh god…. alpha…. my mate…  _ He whimpered, feeling a pleasured burn.  _ I wanna cum…  _

 

Tucker bit at the back of Henry’s neck as his coil started to tighten.  _ I’m gonna cum soon, I can feel it... _

 

Henry jerked a bit as his neck was bitten, instinctively turning his head, the glands on his neck fully on display.  _ ….is alpha gonna bond me?  _ His scent sweetened even further.  _ Alpha…  _

 

_ Want bond…. but omega will be mad…  _ He kept thrusting, sucking a bit of blood from his system and going on a frenzy.  _ He tastes so good…  _

 

Henry whimpered as Tucker drank, his ears pinning back. “...does alpha n-not w-want bond?”  _ I want it… I love him…  _

 

Tucker pulled back from his bite, looking at the gland presented to him. “Not now…. we didn’t talk about it yet….”  _ I want to, but only when you tell me you want it... _

 

Henry whined, giving him puppy eyes, sighing when Tucker didn’t budge. “Okay…. but soon?” 

 

Tucker nodded, not needing much longer to make Henry cum and sliding his knot inside of him soon after.  _ Fuck….  _ He groaned as he held him, his fingers running over his lithe body, sighing as he looked to where his stomach was filled up against Henry’s back.  _ I should lose some weight….  _ Tucker helped Henry through his heat, managing not to give in to his puppy eyes and bond with him. He was exhausted after every round, his length not realizing he couldn’t do the next round that it wanted. Tucker was relieved when it was finally over, waking up and feeling exhausted and sweaty.  _ I wanna sleep more…  _ He was about to fall back asleep before he felt a hand on his side push him farther away.  _ Huh?  _

 

Henry curled up in a corner of the nest, looking at him with wide eyes.  _ ….we… we mated…. I didn’t…  _ “I-I’m s-s-sorry… I didn’t m-mean…..”  _ I didn’t wanna ruin our friendship…. ...he probably did it out of obligation…. he felt bad for me, I knew it…  _ Henry began to silently cry, sniffling.  _ I didn’t wanna ruin it…  _

 

Tucker looked at his tears, feeling his heart sink.  _ I don’t… fuck…  _ “I-I can go…. if that’s what you want?”  _ He doesn’t want a bond, it’s a good thing I didn’t do it… he probably doesn’t want anything because I’m fat as all hell…  _

 

“I-I’m… I’m sorry…. I didn’t w-w-want to ruin us b-being f-friends…. ...y-you probably d-don’t wanna be around m-m-me anymore… it’s o-okay….”  _ You can go if you want… but I don’t want you to…  _

 

_ Is this it? That’s it? That’s our friendship?  _ “O-Oh…. Uhm…..” Tucker could feel his face head up in embarrassment and shame. “I-I guess I’ll be going then….”  _ He probably won’t text me…  _ His head was down as he got up, getting in his sweatpants and picking up the remnants of his shirt.  _ I should go home… I hope the door is unlocked…  _

 

Casper heard the door to the basement open, his smile instantly disappearing as Tucker emerged alone. “....Tucker, honey?” Casper seemed to understand, closing the door and catching his arm. “...honey, what did Henry say?” Casper’s scent was soft and calming, trying to keep him from simply leaving.  _ Let’s talk.  _

 

“He didn’t want to mate with me and he didn’t want to ruin our friendship… so there goes everything I guess…” Tucker pulled his arm away exhaustedly and opened the front door up to leave.  _ He doesn’t want me around anymore…. _

 

“Tucker.” Casper reached for him again, his eyes gentle, and his voice soft but firm. “Can you please stay here for just a moment?”  _ I need to fix this. You two are in the aftermath of your first heat and rut together, and I don’t want anything bad happening.  _ Casper let him meander to the living room, opening the door to the basement, his voice soft. “Henry, honey? I’m coming down, so get covered up, okay?” Casper slowly came downstairs, seeing Henry buried in the sheets. He sighed, sitting next to him and going to gently pet him. “....I thought you really liked Tucker… didn’t you want to mate with him?” 

 

Henry looked up to Casper, shaking his head. “D-Did he leave?”  _ I liked him as a friend, he was really nice, but… but now we can’t be friends, can we?  _ He sniffled as he curled up to himself to try and wipe the tears away.  _ I wanna be friends with him be we just ruined that didn’t we?  _

 

“....he hasn’t yet, honey… ...why not?” He watched Henry stay quiet, not looking at him. “....you didn’t want this to change anything? Wanted to stay friends?” He watched Henry slowly nod, his voice gentle. “....did you think doing this would mean it would all be over? ...instead of lead to something more than just friends?” 

 

“But…. he’s… he’s my best friend, and I like he relationship we already had….”  _ It’s all fucked over now isn’t it?  _  “I just wanted to stay friends with him, I didn’t wanna screw everything up…” Henry’s eyes shot towards the door as he heard the front door open and slam shut.  _ He-He left….  _

 

Tucker couldn’t take it, his heart aching horribly as he listened to the two of them talk from the top of the stairs.  _ He doesn’t want me like that…. he never will… He didn’t want to mate with me, he just wants to be friends….  _ He slammed the door behind him and started walking home, not caring for the first time in a long time that he didn’t have a shirt on and his stretch marks were visible.  _ He doesn’t even wanna look at me like that….  _ Tucker tried the door finding it locked and locating the spare key before going inside.  _ I wanna sleep…. it’s been a long few days…  _

 

Levi heard the front door open, his phone going off at the exact same time.  _ What?  _ He glanced at his phone, worried. 

 

**CP: Levi, shit is going down**

**CP: Henry is scared that after them mating, Tucker isn’t gonna want to be friends at all anymore**

**CP: We have two bad cases of self-loathing here**

**CP: You get him back over here!**

**CP: Henry wants his boyfriend back**

**LA: On it.**

 

Levi went to where Tucker had holed himself up in the basement, gently knocking. “Hun?” Levi opened the door, taking a few steps down, seeing Tucker curled away on a futon. “Tucker…” 

 

“Go the fuck away, I don’t wanna talk about it.” Tucker swore immediately, curling up as best as he could around himself and trying not to cry.  _ I don’t want to talk about it, I just lost my best friend because I couldn’t keep my instincts in check and keep my small dick in my pants…  _

 

Levi could smell his distress, slowly coming up to him and kneeling by the futon, his voice quiet. “....Casper just filled me in on what’s going on…. ….and you need to know that whatever it is you’re thinking, Henry’s thinking the same thing.” He watched Tucker turn over to look at him with teary eyes. “You’re thinking that your instincts got the best of you and that now you can’t be friends anymore because they won’t want you around after something like that… but you’d still like to be their friend.. and probably something more.” Levi nodded slowly as Tucker gave him a scared look. “Henry’s thinking the same thing, honey… he misses you already.”  _ You two need each other.  _

 

“No, he’s not, he just wanted a friend…. I wanted something more….  I gave him my heart and in a simple sentence he fucking destroyed it… I wanted something more but it’s clear that he fucking doesn’t….. I’m not going back there!” He practically shouted as he cried more.  _ I don’t wanna do that… that’s too painful knowing that he’ll never say yes… I thought maybe after this he’d agree…  _

 

Levi moves to sit on the bed, pulling Tucker close as he cried, his voice soft as Tucker slowly calmed down with gentle pets. “Tucker… Henry’s scared too… he was scared that you weren’t going to want anything more and was trying to accept that he’d be alone before you even left…. ...he’s scared… he wants you there, he really does… he wants to have you…”  _ Please….  _

 

“No he’s fucking not…”  _ He’s fine.  _ “So what, he lost a friend, he’s got 30 more, he’ll find a replacement soon enough…”  _ I’m almost done with school… I’ll be able to get a job in a couple years….  I don’t have any friends to fall back on.  _ He sighed, feeling his heart break a bit more.  _ I can’t go to him now... _

 

Levi sighed softly, his voice quiet. “....are you sure you don’t want to at least try to talk to him? ...you two have been sweet for each other ever since you met as pups… ...are you just… done?”  _ You can’t just do that…  _

 

“He’s not gonna say yes if he only sees me as a friend….”  _ There’s a reason why…  _ “I don’t wanna go back to school for awhile…” 

 

“...you don’t have to…. but, honey… that’s the point… he  **doesn’t** want to see you as a friend… he wants more than that…” Levi watched as Tucker tuned him out, sighing softly. “....alright.”  _ …..fucking hell…  _

 

Tucker sighed in relief as Levi left.  _ He left….thank god…. Mom’s probably out grocery shopping…. actually, I should probably go to school, distract myself.  _

 

**LA: He won’t listen… I told him everything, and none of it worked… he’s still so sure that Henry won’t want anything to do with him….**

**CP:.... oh no, this isn’t gonna turn out well.**

**CP: Henry’s not gonna be happy about this...**

**LA: He won’t even want to talk to him… we should get a phone call going between the two of them, anything….**

**CP: I need to break the news to Henry…. he’s probably gonna be upset about it...**

 

Casper looked to where Henry had finally calmed down with his head in his lap.  _ Well… shit.  _ “Henry, honey…. Uhm… Tucker doesn’t want to come back over here…”  _ This is gonna be bad... _

 

Henry was silent, his hands gripping the sheets tightly. “....wh-wh-why n-not?” Henry was terrified, already beginning to cry again.  _ I want my mate….  _

 

“I-I…. I don't know honey, I uhm, we can try having you talk on the phone with him if you want?”  _ I can’t promise that he’ll answer though…  _

 

“P-Please?” Henry looked up as Casper pulled out his phone to call Levi, holding onto Casper tightly.  _ ….I wanna tell him… I want him here… really badly…  _

 

Levi pulled out his phone as it rang, coming back downstairs, his voice gentle. “...Tucker, Henry really wants to talk….” Levi answered the call, a soft voice speaking before Tucker could yell at Levi.

 

_ T-Tucker?  _ Silence, Henry taking it as a cue to keep talking.  _ I-I’m so sorry I kicked you o-out… I was sc-scared you wouldn’t wanna be f-friends anymore, or would wanna be m-more than that… b-but… I wanna be friends… I want you h-here again, even if it’s just for a little while, a-after wh-what we did….. I like you… a-and I miss you….  _

 

Tucker was quiet, looking to the phone and then looking to Levi before rolling over and away.  _ He just wants to be friends… no, I thought maybe he’d agree to date after his heat, but it’s obvious he doesn’t want anything like that.  _

 

Henry heard the silence and a soft sigh that wasn’t Tucker’s, shaking. “....I d-don’t want you t-to s-stop talking t-to m-m-me…. w-will you ev-ven do th- **that** ?”  _ Please… You’re my best friend….  _

 

Tucker shook his head. “That’s….. that’s asking a lot, Henry….” His voice was quiet and cold as he looked away from the phone to roll back over.  _ It hurts to just hear his voice…. _

 

Henry shook, staring at the phone. “....I’m…. I’m s-s-sorry….” Henry reached out and tapped the red dot on the phone, the call ended.  _ ….he won’t talk to me anymore… it’s all because I let him in while I was having my heat… I couldn’t stop him, we couldn’t talk before we did anything…. I just…  _ Henry started to have a meltdown, clinging to Casper and starting to sob.  _ I’ve lost my best friend….  _

 

Tucker’s heart sunk even more as he heard the phone cut out.  _ Fuck… what am I supposed to do now? I should probably just try and stay as far away from him as possible…  _ “He didn’t even remember…..” His voice was broken as he started to cry, curling up closer to himself. 

 

Levi reached out gently to pet him, feeling him slowly nuzzle into his hand. “...what didn’t he remember…?”  _ I want to know…  _ Levi moved onto the bed, gently pulling Tucker closer, his head in his lap.  _...I’m sorry…  _

 

“He asked me to bond him…. and I told him we would talk…. He doesn’t actually want that…. does he?”  _ It was just instincts for him… he doesn’t want me, who am I kidding? I’m a fat kid…  _

 

“...he might not remember that from the middle of heat… especially since it was your first, and you were together… ...he’s… it’s something really important, what you both did. And deciding if you really want to be together that way is really important too. I’m glad you were able to keep from bonding until you two could try to talk… ...in case something like this happened. ...but you two have always been such close friends, Eren, Casper and I always thought you two would be true mates…. ...but you need to give him time to think, okay? And try to talk to him sometimes, okay? It’s hard enough to lose someone potentially as a boyfriend, but it’s harder if they’re someone who’s been so important this whole time… it’s… it’s a painful decision, whether to be upset but still be around them, or be completely cut away from them… ...but try not to be a stranger, okay? I don’t want you two to hate each other because of this.”  _ You both have been so close for so many years… ...don’t let it end like this…  _

 

Tucker was quiet for a long time, trying to let everything sink in. _ That’s really the option now isn’t it? Try and smile and pretend to be happy while being around him, or cut myself off from him completely….  _ He swallowed hard and sniffled, looking at where the small marks were from him biting Levi.  _ Fuck I actually bit him….  _ “I-I’m… I’m sorry…” 

 

“It’s okay…” Levi’s fingers tangled in his hair, petting him gently. “...love is hard… ...and if you ever want to talk, you can… or complain, whatever you want.”  _ Whatever helps…  _ “I just… I really hope he comes around…”  _ I want you two to be happy… ...and I really think that Henry would be happy with you…  _

 

Tucker shrugged, looking at his hands where he was holding onto the blanket he was under. “When do I have to go back to school?”  _ I don’t wanna go back for a while... _

 

“....you can take a week off if you want to… maybe two…”  _ At most.  _ Levi still gently massaged his scalp, leaning over to kiss his head. “Do you want me to leave you alone?”

 

Tucker nodded, sniffling and moving to curl up to himself.  _ I want to be alone, but I want to hold onto Henry too…. why can’t we be more than friends?  _

  
Levi slowly nodded, getting up and kissing Tucker’s head before retreating upstairs.  _...poor kid… _


	28. Sugar

The rest of the day passed quietly, word making its way to Lathe.  _...I was so sure they were gonna be true mates.  _ Lathe didn’t have much room for thinking the next day, the pups especially excited in the afternoon, barely managing to get them settled down enough to eat their lunch.  _ They’re all so energetic today.  _ Lathe was carrying Nene when he heard the doorbell ring, a number of yelps and small barks coming from the gated kitchen as he went to answer the door.  _ It’s still lunchtime…. who is it? I don’t think I sleep-ordered anything again…  _

 

Terrance was at the door, his face blotchy as he rubbed at his bloodshot eyes, in tears.  _ I can’t make them, but I want sugar… and they don’t taste right….  _ He whined a bit looking up as Lathe answered the door, and sniffling a bit. “I-I…. I can’t make them right…” He showed him the small container of his sad attempt at meringues, the yellow messes clearly not the product he should have.  _ I can’t make them…  _

 

Lathe was stunned, taking in the teary face, the baby bump, and the meringues.  _ ….oh wow.  _ “It’s okay honey, come in, we’ll fix it.” Lathe let him in, hugging him when he shut the door. “It’s so good to see you, honey…. you’re pregnant… I’m so happy for you.” Lathe smiled, ruffling his hair. “We can make meringues, I’ll help you.”  _ It’s okay. I know I have enough stuff for it.  _

 

Terrance sniffled and nodded, following the taller omega into the kitchen with the small pups.  _ He’s got pups too…. my pups are big…. and at school…  _ He rubbed at his eyes as he looked at them, trying to figure out how old they were, rubbing his large stomach. “I-I… I have at least two….”  _ We know that much, but they couldn’t tell how many heads there were….  _

 

Lathe smiled, taking Nene and setting her on the counter in a tiny nest made just for her. “I’m so happy for you… we’ll get your sugar problem fixed, don’t worry.” Lathe got out a bowl, getting the eggs and letting Nene sniff the carton curiously before setting it down. “Now, judging by what your meringues look like I imagine you used the entire egg?” 

 

“Y-Yeah…. it said to used white eggs…. I didn’t use the ones with brown shells…. why isn’t it right?” He was confused as he leaned against a counter, looking at the pups eyeing him curiously.  _ They’re all quiet… and staring at me…  _

 

“Oh, honey, the shell color doesn’t matter, since the insides are the same. Here, look.” Lathe cracked an egg against the lip of the bowl, the egg white falling into the bowl, keeping the yolk in the shell. “The part in the bowl is called the white of the egg, since when you cook it, it turns white. The yellow part is called the yolk. Doing this keeps the yolk out, and all the white in.” Lathe passed the yolk from one half of the shell to the other until no white was left, dumping it into the sink and throwing out the shell. “Do you want to try?” Lathe looked up, realizing how quiet his pack had gotten, looking at Terrance. “...have you not met the pack yet?”  _ They don’t recognize you? Have I really not had you over to see them? _

 

Terrance shook his head, moving away from the pups ever so slightly.  _ His pups are staring at me….  _ “N-No…” He stuttered as he sniffled and held the now empty container close to his chest.  _ Why are they staring?  _

 

“Oh, I’m sorry honey. Come here.” Lathe picked up Nene and moved Terrance with him to the floor, setting Nene down and holding onto Terrance's shoulder. “Honeys? This is Terrance, he’s a friend of mine who lives right across the street. Do you wanna say hi?” Lathe watched them all stare until Nene meandered closed and sniffed his foot, climbing right into his lap and making herself at home, falling asleep immediately. “....aw.” The rest of the pups came up after that, sniffing him and soon getting excited again.  _ They’re all excited again; there’s a new friend in the house.  _

 

Terrance was a bit jumpy around them at first but he finally calmed down, until one of them inspected his baby bump which made him yelp and sent the pups scattering and waking Nene.  _ Oh no… I’m doing something wrong, they don’t like it…  _

 

Nene shook off in his lap, looking up to Terrance, then looking at his belly.  _ Fren has pups?  _ Nene very gently nosed his stomach, sniffing him and nudging his hand affectionately as he shakily pet her, settling back down.  _ Making more tiny frens!  _

 

Terrance looked to Nene as she slowly wagged her tail.  _ She likes that? O-Okay….  _ He looked to Lathe with slightly fearful eyes. “C-Can they tell?”  _ I don’t know if they can or not…. _

 

“Yeah, they can tell you have pups. She’s happy you’re making more tiny friends.” Lathe chuckled as Terrance turned red.  _ Aw.  _ Lathe gently picked up Nene, moving her to his own lap. “Do you wanna keep cooking? It won’t take long.”  _ Meringues are easy.  _

 

Terrance nodded, needing help to get to his feet.  _ Sugar… I need sugar. Alpha’s not home.  _

 

Lathe helped him up, setting Nene back in her nest, the pups now meandering around their feet and sniffing them before running away for a moment to play, doing the same thing again not a minute later. “Okay, let’s get the egg whites in the bowl.” Lathe carefully guided Terrance to crack the egg and properly get the white into the bowl, smiling.  _ He’ll be okay. I have a lot of pups, and they’re really excited today… I’m not sure why.  _

 

Terrance was struggling not to jump every time a pup walked over his bare feet or licked them.  _ It feels really weird…. why do they keep doing it?  _ He watched as Lathe pulled out the rest of the ingredients that they needed for it, purring as they got closer to making them.  _ Want sugar, pups will be happy with sugar.  _

 

Lathe smiled, chuckling as Terrance’s ears popped out and flicked around happily, his tail soon appearing and wagging with excitement.  _ Aw.  _ “Almost there…. we get to actually put them on the tray and make them pretty now.” Lathe went to the cupboard and got out a piping bag and nozzle, dropping it in and filling the bag over a mug to make it easier, soon twisting the end. “This isn’t as hard as you think it is, honey. Just pick your spot, squeeze out a nice bit-” Lathe let a nice meringue build on the sheet and pulled up to leave a tip that bent only a little, smiling. “-and pull up.” He offered him the bag and a smile. “Wanna try?” 

 

Terrance looked at him and nodded, following the same steps Lathe showed him and made it just like him.  _ sugar… I like sugar, I wanna make more at home too…  _ He sniffled a bit, having calmed down completely from his crying fit. 

 

Lathe smiled, rubbing his back to keep him calm as the pups still ran around and played, chuckling as one of the pups jumped up a bit and didn’t stop licking his pants. “He’s not food, honey…” Lathe gently shooed them off of his leg, sighing when they decided to lick his own pants instead. ... _ I love my babies... _

 

Terrance watched the pup lick his pants, curious. “Does… does he always lick your pants….?”  _ They seem really excited around me? Why so excited?  _

 

“Sometimes, yeah. They’re just really excited. Dunno why.” Lathe knelt down, smiling as the pup immediately nodded to his stomach and began to lick his shirt, sighing and scooping them up, setting them on his shoulder.  _ Pup.  _

 

Terrance nodded, watching another pup come up to him and lick his shirt over his abdomen as well.  _ Pups…. I’m having pups….  _

 

Lathe was surprised as another pup soon took their place, lifting them onto the other shoulder.  _ More pup.  _ Lathe eventually gave up and sat down on the floor as two more pups came to replace them, nosing his shirt and licking it. “Why?” Lathe gathered them up, petting them and looking up to Terrance. “....does Alucard know?” 

 

Terrance sat down on the floor and nodded. “Y-Yeah… Alpha knows… He left yesterday… and the pups had school today…”  _ I wanted sugar…. because I don’t get to eat it that much…  _

 

Lathe nodded, seeing Terrance was finished putting the meringues on the tray, concerned as the pups nudged him down and all swarmed around his belly, licking him. “.....what the hell are you all doing?” Lathe was confused, looking to Terrance.  _ Why are they acting so strange?  _

 

“Pups…”  _ Pups, lots of pups…  _ Terrance looked up as Nene whined, already sitting down and too far to reach her.  _ I wanna pet her, but I can’t reach her…  _

 

“Yeah, the pups are acting all weird, but why?” Lathe reached to move Nene to Terrance’s lap, worried as the pups all kept nudging his stomach, careful not to put their paws on him. “....I’m starting to get worried… is there something wrong with me?”  _ Do they know something I don’t? _

 

“No… pups.” Terrance spoke softly as he pointed at Lathes stomach where they were all licking him.  _ That’s what they see… Pups… more pups…  _ He pet Nene as she nosed his own abdomen and began to purr. 

 

Lathe paused, looking down at his own stomach. “.....really?” Lathe slowly got to his feet, worried as he went to the bathroom immediately and rifled for a pregnancy test.  _ I wanna know,,.. ...are they really right? _

 

Terrance looked down as he watched Lathe practically sprint away, all the pups coming to lick at his abdomen.  _ Their tongues tickle.  _

 

Lathe came back with the test in hand a minute later, sitting on the floor again and staring as some of the pups came back to lick at his stomach again.  _...am I…  _ He was silent as he watched it come up with a reading, his voice tiny. “....I’m pregnant?”  _ …..did Eren and Levi sending us home to make babies actually fucking work?!  _ Lathe dropped the test, starting to sob.  _ More babies… I’m so happy…. I want more babies….  _

 

Terrance looked at Lathe with confusion before he smiled, looking back to the oven at the meringues.  _ He’s gonna want sugar too… I should leave him with this sugar and go home…. my pups are gonna be home soon too…  _ He didn’t know what to do, feeling awkwardly out of place in Lathe’s kitchen. 

 

Lathe soon looked up, sniffling and holding his pups close to him, nuzzling them. “....I’m pregnant again….”  _ Pups…!!  _ Lathe smiled, slowly getting up and going to get out more eggs. “Might as well make extra….”  _ Sugar…. want sugar…  _

 

Terrance nodded, curling up to himself and letting Lathe get busy, pups at his heels and yapping at him.  _ I should probably go….  _ “L-Lathe? I-I’m gonna… g-gonna go…” He couldn’t stop his stutter even if he wanted to as he got up.  _ I need to make sure my pups get home safe... _

 

Lathe looked back, stopping Terrance. “Hold on honey, the first batch of meringues are almost done. I want you to have them; I can carry them over in a little bit if you want?”  _ Please? I wanna keep my pack fed and happy…  _

 

“Y-You can k-keep them… I-I-I’m s-sorry for in-interr-rupting….”  _ You were feeding them lunch…  _ He looked down as he made his ears and tail go away before he could tuck them close to his body. 

 

Lathe immediately shook his head, going to gently hug the omega. “It’s okay, it really is, it’s nice to see you… and I really do want you to have them… you’re pregnant too, you could use the sugar.”  _ You need sugar.  _

 

Terrance shook in his arms, looking up to him with innocent eyes. “A-Are you sure??”  _ I want to make sure… I can make them at home… alpha bought a lot of sugar…  _

 

“Yeah, I’m sure, Hun.” Lathe smiled softly, ruffling his hair. “You deserve it. We made them together. You get to taste them.”  _ They’re yours too.  _ “Go make sure the kids get off the bus okay, and I’ll be over soon, okay?” 

 

Terrance nodded, shuffling out of the kitchen and going to carefully cross the street and make his way onto the porch, waiting for the pups, worried when the bus took longer than it should have.  _ Pups? Where are my pups?  _

 

Lathe soon had the meringues in a box, going to cross the street. “Not home yet?” Lathe watched him nod, shrugging a bit and sitting next to him. “It’s okay, they’re gonna be here soon. Sometimes they have an assembly and those always run late, so they could be a few minutes past.” Lathe offered Terrance the box, his eyes soft.  _ They’re coming, don't worry.  _

 

Terrance nodded, taking the box and holding onto it.  _ Usually if they’re late Alpha has to go get them…  _ He swallowed hard as he twiddled his thumbs as he moved to curl up on a rocking chair.  _ I want my pups to come home. _

 

Lathe smiled softly, reaching up to pet him behind the ears, watching him relax slowly. “It’s fine, they’ll be home soon.”  _ Eren’s kids come home on the same bus… if there’s ever an issue, Fredrick texts, and Eren comes out to get them.  _ Lathe looked up as he heard a bus approaching, looking down the street. “The kids are here.” 

 

Terrance sighed in relief, watching as the kids filed out of the bus, one running out that caught his eye.  _ Tim? Is that….  _ He got up, immediately perking his ears and watching as he walked away with his worn out and rusted bike from the front of the bus.  _ That’s…. That’s Tim…. _ He swallowed thickly as he watched him walk away.  _ He’s…. he’s okay…  _

 

Lathe looked up, looking between the boy and Terrance. “Honey, what’s wrong?” Lathe rested a hand on his shoulder. “Should we go say hi?”  _ You can say hi to the other kids… I can kinda tell that look… it’s the ‘Something isn’t right’ look…  _

 

Terrance looked up to Lathe, his ears drooping as he shook his head, watching his kids come up to the house and inside.  _ No, I have pups to look after….  _ He watched carefully as Tim disappeared inside Casper’s house, feeling his heart sink.  _ He has no idea…  _

 

Lathe looked worried, gently rubbing his back. “....are you okay? Did you recognize them or something?”  _...what’s wrong? _

 

Terrance shook a bit and nodded, looking away. “Y-Yeah… I’m okay…”  _ I’m really okay… but… that’s Tim... _

 

“Okay… if… if something’s wrong, you can always have me watch the kids and run over there…. I can take care of them if you need me to…” Lathe and he were soon surrounded by pups, Lathe petting their heads. “I can take them to my house for a little if you need me to…” 

 

Terrance shook his head, looking down. “It’s… it’s fine, thank you for earlier Lathe… let’s go inside guys and get you a snack before dinner…”  _ I need to go hunting for dinner too….  _

 

Lathe nodded slowly, giving him a hug. “Okay… you call me if you need to talk, or call Casper if you want to talk to that kid, okay?”  _ It’s fine. The Moms around here will all understand.  _

 

Terrance nodded and herded all the kids inside. He got them all into the kitchen, helping them all to a small snack and making sure they were doing their homework when he shifted to go out to the yard.  _ I need to get food, Alpha’s not home yet... _

 

About an hour had passed before the front door opened, a smooth voice calling into the house. “I’m home, everyone.” Drac shut the door behind him, setting down his briefcase and walking to the kitchen, looking around at the kids working on their schoolwork. “Hello all of you…” He kissed all their heads, ruffling many heads of hair. “Do you know where your mother’s hiding?” 

 

“Mum went to get more food for dinner….”  _ Mum went hunting…. He went a while ago.  _ Carter went back to his school work, almost done with what he wanted to get done.  _ Gotta finish before Mum comes home.  _

 

“...oh.”  _ But he’s pregnant… he shouldn’t be hunting….  _ Drac looked to the back door, his smile soft as he looked to the kids. “Can you all stay safe for a little while longer? I’m going to go fetch Mum.”

 

Carter nodded, going back to working on his homework.  _ Mum and Dad will get us food….  _

 

Drac left through the back door, his steps quiet as he glided through the woods.  _ Mate…. I need to protect my mate…  _ It wasn’t long before he heard rustling, approaching silently and seeing Terrance with a jaw full of rabbits.  _ Ooh.  _ “Terrance, love?” 

 

Terrance looked up, his sides bulging from his pups, looking at the pile of rabbits he’d managed to catch.  _ Alpha’s here! He can help carry stuff.  _

 

Drac smiled, coming over to kiss his head, helping pick up the rabbits. “Let’s go home, okay? I don’t want you hunting while you’re so full of pups…” Drac began to walk back with him, leaning against him gently.  _ I missed you.  _

 

Terrance walked back with him and right to the kitchen where he settled the rabbits up on the counter, slowly shifting to his human form. He was leaning back against the cabinets on the floor trying to catch his breath.  _ Hunting is getting harder.  _ “I didn’t know when you’d be coming home….” 

 

“I’m so sorry I couldn’t tell you earlier…” Drac immediately knelt with him and pulled him close, his hands protectively going to his huge baby belly.  _ Pups…  _ “Are you okay? Did you have any trouble out hunting?” 

 

“On-Only a little…. it wasn’t…. it wasn’t bad…”  _ They’re behaving.  _ Terrance looked up as Carter went to put his homework in his book bag.  _ Alright, they’re getting close to getting done so I better get dinner started…  _ “Drac, can you help me up?” 

 

“Of course, here…” Drac helped him to his feet, pulling over a chair to the counter. “If you skin them, I’ll get the rest of dinner going… the vegetables, the marinade, everything.”  _ I want to help you.  _

 

Terrance nodded, starting to skin and gut the animals as needed, carefully putting them in a large bowl when they were done.  _ Gotta get this all done…. maybe I should see…. well, I know we have blood in the coolers downstairs, they can have some of that with dinner too…  _

 

Drac took the meat when it was done being cleaned, carefully scraping off what blood he could and setting them into a bowl of marinade, slicing them appropriately into pieces.  _ This is gonna be a good dinner.  _ He coated the entire bottom of the roasting pan with buttered carrots and leeks, starting to peel and cut up potatoes as well, even dropping pieces of the rabbit carcasses into a pot of boiling water.  _ I’ll make gravy too…  _

 

Terrance watched Drac make the rest of the dinner, slowly standing up and going to waddle towards the basement stairs.  _ I’ll go get the blood packs for the kids…. we’ll need more soon…  _

 

Drac worked continuously, soon setting the roasting pan in the oven, the potatoes boiling on the stove with other vegetables cooking alongside them, a cloth filled with herbs still floating in the broth.  _ Food _ ...

 

Terrance took a very long time just to get down to the bottom of the steps, breathing hard.  _ I’m not gonna be able to carry them all upstairs.  _ “Carter!” He called from the foot of the steps, groaning.  _ I need to drink some as well… the pups are starting to move around a lot more…  _

 

Carter immediately went to the basement, looking up to Terrance. “Yes, Mummy?”  _ I can help! _

 

Terrance smiled ushering him to come close and to help him walk to the coolers. “Grab a box from over there, okay?”  _ I need to get 12 for you lot, 2 for me and 3 for Drac…  _ “We need to get 17 packs, honey…” Terrance opened up the cooler as he grabbed the box, smiling as he saw the smallest bit of his fangs pop out of his lips.  _ He’s hungry…  _

 

Carter immediately nodded, smiling as he saw their stash of blood.  _ Hungry….  _ “Dinner’s gonna be ready soon, right?”  _ I want blood… and Daddy’s food smells  _ **_really_ ** _ good…  _

 

Terrance nodded, filling up the box. “Can you take these upstairs and put them on the counter? Then come down to help me up the stairs?”  _ The pups are kicking…. In gonna need more help to start moving around soon…  _

 

“Okay Mum!” Carter immediately did as he was told, soon coming downstairs to help him up the basement stairs again.  _ I can help! _

 

Terrance was out of breath again when they got up the stairs, whimpering ever so slightly. “Hmm, help me to the kitchen, Carter….”  _ My legs feel weak…  _

 

“Okay, Mum.” Carter got Terrance to his chair at the table and helped him sit, soon running over to tug on Drac’s pant leg. “Daddy? Is dinner ready yet? Mum’s tired and needs food.”  _ Food!!  _

 

Drac smiled, going to scoop up Carter, kissing his cheek and coming over to Terrance. “Food will be about twenty minutes, loves.” He moved to lightly kiss his mate, his voice soft. “Are you okay? Do you need anything?” 

 

“Can you bring me two of the blood bags? And my cup? I need to start drinking more.” _ The pups are moving a lot…  _ He whimpered as Drac started to walk away.  _ It’s getting harder to watch him leave.  _

 

Drac heard him whimper, turning back to look at him, his voice soft. “It’s alright, I’m not going anywhere again, not now that you’re this big…. I’m not gonna go anywhere for awhile.”  _ I made sure to tell Integra before I left.  _ Drac soon handed him a cup full of blood, kissing his head, a hand gently on his stomach.  _ ….full of pups….  _

 

_...we made those.  _

 

_ Mhm.  _

 

_ ….that surprises me every time I see him so big.  _

 

_ Alucard- _

 

_ He has so many! There’s got to be, like, eight in there. Minimum.  _

 

_ Ali,- _

 

_ MINIMUM.  _

 

_ I know- _

 

_ I don’t think you do. He has at least eight more tiny vampires in there! Probably more! And you’re  _ **_this_ ** _ relaxed?! _

 

_ Uh, yeah.  _

 

_...wow.  _

 

_ This whole fatherhood thing still weirding you out? _

 

_ Kinda. I mean, on one hand, shooting up abandoned orphanages full of vampire outlaws is fun… _

 

_ I’m not disagreeing, but go on.  _

 

_...but on the other hand, they’re kids… and they’re… uh… …..uhhhhhhhhh…. _

 

_ Cute? _

 

_ Yes, that.  _

 

Terrance watched Drac stare at his bump, sipping from his glass and sighing softly as the pups calmed down. “Ali?”  _ Is… is Ali coming out? Is he gonna stay for the night? He never stays… he’s only here for heats….  _

 

_ Oooh! I wanna say hi! _

 

_ Alright, be my guest.  _

 

Alucard blinked, soon smiling widely. “Hi honey, miss me?” Alucard immediately knelt on the floor next to him, holding his middle and nosing his way to his abdomen, kissing the bulge. “Are you all behaving for your mom in there? You better. And if not, then they’re little me’s, and I’m so sorry.” Alucard looked up to Terrance with a sheepish look, laughing at his expression.  _ He’s cute.  _

 

Terrance smiled softly looking exhausted as he sipped from the glass. “Can you make sure the kids get a bag of blood? I brought up three for you and two for me…”  _ The pups have been moving around nonstop… but not as much movement as the first litter.  _ “Ali….. I don’t think there’s more than two that are moving…” 

 

“Really?” Alucard gently felt his stomach, his voice soft as he tugged up his shirt to expose skin, murmuring softly against his skin. “Hi honey… can you move for me a bit? I want a headcount.” He suddenly felt Terrance jump, feeling wiggling pups, quickly counting. “....I think…. seven…. no, nine?” 

  
Terrance gasped as he felt the most movement he’d ever felt thus far.  _ They’re moving…. they’re moving….  _ He could almost cry as he felt them squirm inside, relief flooding his system.  _ I was so so sure there was only a few moving in there…  _ Terrance took more sips at the blood in the cup, feeling them calm down as he drank more.  _ They’re  _

_ calming down…  _

__

Alucard smiled as they started to settle, kissing all over his stomach. “That’s your exercise for today, now be good to your Mom, and try not to kick his spleen, okay? He needs that.” Alucard pulled his shirt back into place, looking up. “....aw, my baby’s crying….” Alucard stood up, handing him his kerchief. “Happy we’re gonna have so many pups? Or are you already mourning all those lost hours of sleep?” 

__

“I-I thought they didn’t make it….” Terrance sobbed quietly as he took the kerchief and started to calm down.  _ I didn’t think they were gonna be moving… I’m so happy they’re moving…  _ “They’re… they’re moving….”  _ I’m so relieved... _

__

Alucard immediately sat next to him, pulling him close and petting him. “It’s okay, the pups are okay… they’re just fine, Terrance… we’ll keep you well-fed and well-rested, and you’ll be just fine.”  _ It’s okay. _

__

Terrance nodded, sniffling softly as he looked at his bump, rubbing fit softly.  _ Should I tell him?... I probably should.  _ “I-I saw Tim….”  _ You probably don’t know who that is…  _

__

“....that’s… your brother, right?”  _ Something like that.  _ He watched him nod, smiling. “Did you get to talk to him at all?”  _...you’ve been worried about your family…  _

__

Terrance shook his head. “No… He… He looked okay, and he seemed like he grew up really well…”  _ He looks good… I feel bad…. because he probably doesn’t even recognize me, and he’s right across the street.  _

__

“Oh… I’m glad he looks like he’s doing okay… ...where did you see him?” 

__

“He… He was with the kids… on the bus, he went with Casper’s kids… to their house…”  _ I don’t wanna intrude…  _ Terrance looked up as the buzzer went off. “Let Drac take care of food, okay?” 

__

“Okay…. But you should go talk to rainbow-hair, he’ll get you in touch.”  _ I know he will. In a non-creepy way.  _

__

_ Alright. Now, may I? _

__

_ Of course.  _

__

Drac was back after a moment, gently kissing Terrance’s cheek and standing to finish up dinner.  _ We need to feed the kids…  _

__

Terrance smiled softly, asking a child for his phone and thanking them when he got it.  _ I have his phone number… but should I text him…? Yeah…. it can’t hurt…  _

__

**TM: Casper?**

**CP: Hey Terrance! What’s going on?**

**TM: Is Tim still there?**

**CP: Uh, Claire just went into her heat, and Tim’s in rut because of it… they’re gonna be busy for a few days… why, what’s up?**

**TM: Nothing it’s good. Sorry to bother you.**

**CP: Okay…. ...how did you know his name, anyway? Kinda curious…**

**TM: I Uhm…. he’s my brother….**

**CP: You’re joking**

**CP: Really?**

**CP: Tell me something nobody else would know about him**

**CP: When they get out of heat and rut I need to verify this**

**TM: Uhm…. well he knows I’m an omega… and he’s only 10 years younger than me… Dad always plants 35 carrots in each row…. he would know that.**

**TM: If he doesn’t… if he doesn’t wan me want to know, then don’t worry about it…**

**TM: Tim might not even remember me… He was only 5 when I left…**

**CP: I’ll make sure to ask when they’re out of it… but I really want this to be real**

**CP: And I’m sure he’d recognize you, or at least want to say hi after so long…**

**CP: I’ll let you know how this goes, honey**

**CP: Don’t worry too much <3 I’m hoping for the best**

**TM: If he doesn’t wanna talk or visit don’t force him….**

__

Terrance looked even more defeated as he put the phone down, looking at the plate in front of him as he sipped from his cup, the pups sipping from their cups as well.  _ They’re all getting used to having blood with dinner… we need to get more…  _

__

Drac smiled as they all finally tasted their food and began eating like wolves.  _ My babies like it…  _ Drac sipped from his own glass, the blood looking like red wine.  _...I love them….  _

__

Terrance ate as much as he could handle, trying to appease the restless pups.  _ I’m gonna need to start drinking more blood, they’re getting stronger…  _

__

Drac noticed how jittery he was, reaching over and gently touching his knee, his thumb gently rubbing.  _ Is it the pups? ….it’s the pups.  _ He knelt, gently rubbing his stomach, his voice a murmur. “Calm down, honeys… it’s okay.”  _ I promise.  _ He smiled as they settled a bit, getting back up.  _ It’s okay.  _

__

“Ali said 9… any guesses?”  _ I don’t know how many there are… they were finally moving when Ali talked to them…  _ He purred as he was able to eat the rest of his plate and drink what was in his cup, letting Drac go to refill it with more blood.  _ I’m gonna start drinking a lot more.  _

__

Drac made sure he had enough to drink, thinking as he swirled his own glass. “....I’m gonna go with seven.”

__

“Any reason why?”

__

“I, by myself, am two less than all three of us. I dunno, Alucard is probably hoping for a carbon copy of all three of us, while I know that at least and maybe only one of them is going to be a perfect copy. Therefore, two less than nine. ...I know that makes me sound lame, just go with it.” 

__

Terrance nodded and rubbed his belly as he sucked down the rest of the cup.  _ I’m going with it… don’t worry…  _ “Can you help get the kids washed up and ready for bed, they can stay up reading a little longer but I want them ready for bed….”  _ It takes me too long to help, I feel tired… really tired…  _

__

“Okay. You all heard your mother, let’s get you cleaned up and pajama’d.” Drac got the kids up and steered them to the stairs, making sure they all brushed their teeth and washed their hands.  _ Good, good.  _

__

Terrance smiled softly, slowly getting up and meandering between the sink and the table with the dishes.  _ I’ll do them later… or Drac will do them.  _ He smiled softly as he headed towards the nest he had downstairs, slowly curling up into the new sheets.  _ I’ll wait for Alpha down here…  _

__

Drac soon had all the kids ready for bed and with books in hand, letting them read and talk while he went back downstairs, smiling as he saw Terrance in their nest.  _ I want to join him.  _ Drac knelt by the side of the nest, slowly beginning to neatly undress and fold his clothes until everything except his undershirt and boxers were off and folded, entering the nest and immediately curling around his mate. “Are you feeling okay? Have you been okay on sugar today?” 

__

“I think so…. I tried making meringues but I couldn’t get them right and no one was home so I went to Lathe’s and he showed me how to make them… can you get the meringues? They’re in the box on the counter in the kitchen….”  _ I haven’t eaten them yet, I want some sugar….  _

__

Drac nodded, getting up and soon coming back with the container full of meringues, offering him the box. “Is it okay if I have one?”  _ They look good….  _

__

Terrance nodded, opening the box and offering him one.  _ Only one….  _ He settled with the box, enjoying the taste of them.  _ They’re really,  _ **_really_ ** _ good... _

__

Drac smiled, biting into it. “That’s good. Did you make them?” He watched as Terrance blushed, smiling and going to kiss his cheek. “You need to make them more… or at least show  **me** how.”  _ I like it.  _

__

**_I_ ** _ wanna taste…. _

__

_ Of course.  _

__

Drac blinked, taking another bite.  _ ….it’s like… all sugar…  _

__

_ Yes.  _

__

_ That’s  _ **_great_ ** _.  _ “Fuckin’ hell, I’m making more of these tomorrow. I can’t let you keep them all to yourself. ...except for that batch. That batch is yours.” Drac kissed the corner of Terrance’s lips, popping the rest into his mouth. “So quick question, who do you wanna curl up with?”

__

Terrance blushed looking at him with curious eyes. “Will…. Will Ali behave?”  _ I haven’t slept with him since my heat... _

__

“Ma~ybe…” Ali smirked, moving closer and leaning into his side, his hand on his belly. “I think I can behave for the pups…”  _ Pups…  _

__

_ You can start by not swearing around their tiny ears.  _

__

_ But that’s, like, half of my personality! _

__

_ Exactly.  _

__

…. _ I hate you.  _

__

_ Love you too, Ali.  _

__

_ Fuck off.  _ Alucard sighed, going to rest his head on Terrance’s shoulder, gently rubbing his stomach. 

__

Terrance let him curl up to his side, smiling as he rubbed his stomach. “You’ll help me make more tomorrow?”  _ When the kids are at school… _ He purred as he was given attention. 

__

“Of course…. we can make as many as you want.”  _ We’ll make lots.  _ Alucard slipped lower, kissing all over his stomach, enjoying the purrs.  _ My mate is happy... _

__

Terrance smiled, his hands running through his hair.  _ This is nice, he’s behaving, and he’s being gentle.  _ “Do you…. do you want more? After this?”  _ I don’t know if you want more or not…  _

__

“If we end up having nine more, we should probably wait a while to have more… that’ll be plenty to take care of for a while.” Alucard looked up to him, his smile soft. “But I do like it when they’re little… especially the controlled havoc. That’s rather interesting. They go from complete angels to little demons in two seconds flat. It’s impressive.” 

__

Terrance smirked and nodded, letting his head fall back as he felt the pups move ever so slightly.  _ They’re gonna start kicking around a lot soon.  _ “Are you gonna stay? You don’t have to work, right?” 

__

“I made sure Integra knew that was the last call she gets to make to me while you’re pregnant with these pups… I have to be a dad and bad role model, I’m gonna be busy.” Alucard chuckled as Terrance sighed. “But while I was there, I made sure to train my replacement as much as possible. They’re running the show now. I said not to call unless there’s another world war.” 

__

Terrance smiled softly, letting Alucard kiss where he wanted, happy that he was in sweatpants and a tank top. “You’ll need to go out and get more blood, we’re gonna run out soon…”  _ With the way the pups are getting acclimated to it…  _

__

“Alright, I’ll run out in the morning… blood bank, or should I catch some large game?” 

__

“Blood bank… they need to get used to human blood…” 

__

“Alright.” Alucard nuzzled into his side, relaxing.  _ Pups.  _ He sighed deeply, his voice quiet. “...I kinda love you….” 

__

“Only kinda?” Terrance looked at him with innocent eyes as he quieted down.  _ I think he loves me more than that... he just hasn’t realized it…  _

__

“....no….. not only kinda….” Alucard rubbed his belly, looking down. “....maybe…. a lot….”  _ ….maybe….  _ Alucard felt a hand gently pet his hair, feeling flutters as he felt a gentle kick against his hand.  _ …..he’s my favorite….  _

_   
Terrance smiled softly, rubbing his head. “Hmm, that’s good, because I love the both of you…”  _ A lot… Alphas are amazing…  _ He continued to eat his sugar, suddenly passing out as exhaustion finally caught up with him.  _ I need sleep, pups need sleep.  _ _


	29. Secrets

Alucard smiled, nuzzling into his hand, relaxing and falling asleep.  _ ….he’s warm… and comfy… and loves me….  _ The two of them slept like the dead for a solid eight hours, Alucard waking up as Terrance started to jerk with surprise in his arms. “Whuh, what?”

 

Terrance whimpered as he felt the pups starting to kick inside his abdomen, gasping from the immense amount of pain it brought him.  _ Fuck it hurts, they’re all kicking.  _ “Blood… get more blood, Ali, hurry please…” 

 

Alucard immediately nodded, getting up and rushing to get him a glass of blood. He carefully handed it to him, smiling softly as he drank and began to relax. He knelt next to his stomach, petting him. “You all need to calm down in there… you’re getting breakfast….” 

 

Terrance relaxed, sighing with relief when they finally stopped moving.  _ Thank god… it feels so much better now…  _ “Ali… you need to get the kids up and dressed for school, they all know where their clothes are they just need a bit of help getting them on, especially Philip and Julia…”  _ Those are my two slower pups…. the doctors said that it was a miracle they’re alive, but I’m happy they are... _

 

Alucard nodded, kissing his cheek before heading upstairs.  _...I can get them up and dressed, it’s fine.  _ Alucard went about gently waking them up, helping Philip and Julia get dressed, guiding them to tie their shoes, kissing every kid’s head as he moved past them.  _...we have pups… like… lots….  _

 

Terrance was waiting downstairs, holding onto the counter with a shaking grip as he made eggs and toast for everyone, getting out the lunches he made the previous day and making sure everyone had a lunch.  _ They’ll be gone for another long day today too… but Alpha will be home to help me get around the house…  _

 

Alucard soon had a herd of kids coming down the stairs with their backpacks, getting them to sit at the table and handing out plates of food. “Terrance, honey, you can go lay down again, I’ll get them on the bus.” Alucard moved to quickly toss on actual pajama pants from the laundry room, grabbing a hoodie as well.  _ This works.  _ He saw Terrance still slowly shuffling to the living room, going to help him walk. “I’ve got you.”

 

Terrance was relieved that he was helping to settle him.  _ I’m tired… really tired… I wanna sleep more, but the pups keep moving…  _ “Make sure you take them to the bus stop, and if you can’t figure out where that is, just look for Eren’s kids…” He sounded thoroughly exhausted as he laid back further into the warmth of the nest.  _ My nest…  _

 

Alucard nodded, kissing Terrance softly, going to peck his belly. “You all calm the hell down and let your Mom sleep… he needs the rest.” He smiled as Terrance finally fell lax, standing to go and check on the kids.  _ Our pups…  _

 

Terrance smiled softly and closed his eyes, slowly falling asleep.  _ Carter will help him.  _

 

Carter had finished up his plate and was helping take the plate to the sink with another child, the two of them sorting out lunches for everyone.  _ Dad’s walking us to the bus stop today? Mummy usually does that though... _

 

Alucard came back to the kitchen, smiling to Carter and his sister as they cleaned up. “Okay, honeys, that’s fine. I’ll finish the dishes when I come back from the bus stop. Does everyone have everything? Jackets, backpacks?” He smiled as they all nodded, soon getting them out the door and walking them to the bus stop, the kids following him like a row of ducklings. 

 

Carter closed the door behind everyone, looking around as he heard a large crack overhead, and a bright light flash far away where the darker clouds weren’t letting sun through.  _ It’s gonna rain today…. lots of rain.  _ He watched in fascination, rooted to the spot.  _ Wanna watch… pretty…  _

 

Alucard stopped when he saw the lightning, looking back to the kids.  _ ….they’ll be okay for right now….  _ “Okay, let’s keep going. If I have time I’ll run you all your rain boots, in case it’s raining when school is out, okay?” Alucard smiled when Carter wasn’t listening, still staring, scooping him up and holding him on his hip as he marched them onward. “Hi Eren!” He crossed the street carefully with them all, gathering them up next to the other kids and setting Carter down. “Think I have enough time to get rain boots?”  _ They shouldn’t get their shoes wet... _

 

“They’ll… they’ll be f-fine without boots, they won’t be-be outside for v-very long.” Eren held Mila close to his chest as she squirmed ever so slightly. “How’s…. how’s T-Terrance?” Eren stuttered in the Alpha’s presence, looking down and waiting for the bus to come, hearing it from far down the street.  _ They’ll be getting on the bus now… which is good… I wanna go home… he still freaks me out.  _

 

“Terrance is doing well. He’s big enough that he’s having trouble moving around the house, so I’m staying home for a long while until they’re born, at least. I’m excited; he’s got at least nine cooking.”  _ Pups!  _ Alucard was bouncing on his toes, beaming. “It’s still so hard to believe I’m a Dad sometimes… and that we’re gonna have even more…” He ruffled Carter’s hair, hugging one of his daughters to his side, chuckling as he noticed how nervous Eren was. “It’s fine. I might be Alucard right now but I’m too happy to do anything. Dad mode is engaged.” 

 

Eren still shook as he watched the bus pull up and all the kids shuffle in.  _ They’ll be safe at school, I can stay home, send Levi on a few errands and have time to do what I want while I lay Mila down…  _ He looked down to his wrists nervously before shaking his head slightly. “I-I’m g-glad you’re h-having so m-many…” 

 

“Me too… okay hun, down you go.” Alucard set Carter down, kissing his head before nudging him on, smiling. “...I love them….” He looked over to Eren with a gentle smile. “Sorry, I know we don’t talk much. I tend to let Drac do most of everything. But it’s good to see you.”  _ I can respect your mate, and you’re nice…. and you have an impressive number of kids.  _

 

_ He’s really sweet, we just don’t see much of him. Kids have turned him into a hermit.  _

 

_ Understandable when you have a small army of them.  _

 

Eren’s instincts were telling him to run away as quickly as possible while he still could but swallowed his fear down as best as he could. “Y-Yeah.. y-you too…”  _ I’m scared… he’s still talking to me… what’s he gonna do?  _

 

Alucard smiled, holding his hands up and taking a step back. “I know you’re scared, sorry about all that. Maybe I’ll see you later? Terrance is gonna make me make more meringues, I’ll bring sugar.”  _ You’ll want sugar, most likely…  _

 

Eren looked down shaking his head. “N-No it’s alright, th-thank you for the o-offer…”  _ I’m not pregnant, I don’t need it… if I eat too much I’ll be too fat for Alpha..  _ He kept his head down as he started to walk towards his house, giving Alucard a wide berth.  _ I wanna cut, I wanna go home and calm down…  _

 

“Okay…” Alucard caught a glimpse of the lines on his arms, his brow furrowing as he walked home.  _ …..hm.  _ He immediately went for his phone, finding Levi’s contact. 

 

**DAV: Levi? It’s Alucard. I was just talking to Eren outside after the kids left. He looked really scared… do you know if he’s cutting? He has scars on his arm.**

**LA: What do you mean cutting?**

**LA: I’ve never seen him do anything like that…**

**LA: He’s still trying to get used to me being home… I’ve been absent to say the least.**

**DAV: He has scars on his arm from cutting… and he looked pretty terrified… he was shaking really badly, which I understand, because normally I only come out for a good rampage**

**DAV: But I could kinda tell he wanted to cut….**

**DAV: Can you go check on him?**

**LA: Yeah, I’ll go check on him.**

 

Levi came downstairs, hearing the front door shutting, smiling as he saw Eren shuffling in. “Hey, Eren?” Levi saw how scared he looked, holding out his arms. “Are you okay?” Levi watching him make small nods, pulling him in for a hug, gently petting him. “Alucard texted me… he was a bit worried about you…. are you feeling okay? I know Alucard normally never comes out unless he’s furious, but he sounded really worried, which is surprising….”  _ I want you to be okay.  _

 

“Y-Yeah, I’m fine… can you go shopping if I get you a list?”  _ I need to get this week’s groceries… but I wanna stay home.  _ He looked down as Mila squeaked, pulling his shirt up to let her latch to a nipple.  _ She’s hungry…  _

 

“Yeah, I can… do you wanna come with at all? Get some fresh air, maybe?” He watched Eren shake his head, smiling softly and sighing. “Maybe I can go to the farmer’s market with you when I get home? I wanna leave the house with you, do something…”  _ I want time with you… doing couple stuff…  _

 

“B-But we shouldn’t be taking Mila out of the h-house r-really… I’d… I’d rather st-stay home with her…”  _ I wanna stay, so that I can cut…  _

 

“Okay… uhm, Eren, I want you to be honest with me…” Levi laced their fingers, looking to their hands and down his sleeve, worried when he saw silvery scars.  _ Fuck.  _ He looked back up, gently squeezing. “...are you cutting?” 

 

Eren froze, starting to panic.  _ Oh no… he knows…  _ He tried to pull his hand away, his other hand holding Mila closer to his chest.  _ Fuck Fuck Fuck….  _ Eren looked down as he tried to pull away.  _ I don’t wanna tell him… I started so long ago…  _

 

Levi looked very worried, his voice softer. “Eren, I’m sorry, it’s okay… please, come here, we can cuddle and talk… or just…” Levi reached to gently pull him closer, realizing how scared he looked. “....can we go to the nest?”  _ Please?  _ “I’m not mad, and I’m not upset, I just really want to talk, love….” 

 

Eren nodded as he pulled his hand away from Levi, his whole body shaking as he held Mila while she suckled ever so slowly, taking her time.  _ He’s… he says he’s not mad all the time… but he’s always angry, he’s angry at me all the time…  _ He sniffled and shook as he curled up around Mila, protecting her from no threat whatsoever.  _ Don’t be mad at me… not while I have our pup…  _

 

Levi brought him to the nest, kneeling next to him, very gentle as he moved to brush his hair from his face. “Eren, I don’t want to hurt you… I’m not mad, and I’m not upset, I’m just worried… there’s nothing to protect Mila from right now. ...I just wanna talk about it… I don’t like seeing you so upset that you’re cutting…. do you wanna tell me how long you’ve been cutting?” 

 

“Since our second litter…”  _ I’ve been cutting for years… you’ve never noticed, you were never here enough to tell…  _ He sniffled as he stayed curled up around Mila, letting her pop her head out from where he was curled up, but he kept her protected from Levi still.  _ I can’t trust when he says he’s not mad…  _

 

Levi paused, his heart cracking as he murmured. “....I’m so, so sorry… I’ve been gone so much I couldn’t even tell you were hurting this badly for this long….” Levi smiled softly as Mila strained her head to try and crawl over to him, reaching a hand out to gently pet her. “....I’m so sorry… …but, I want to be more involved now… I wanna help you get better… and I know I’m a big part the reason you started… ….but I want to fix it all…”  _ I really do….  _

 

Eren just continued to shake, but allowed for Mila to crawl out of his curled up form.  _ He wants to stay… he wants to stay but he’s never shown any interest in this before.  _ “Y-You can’t fix scars Levi…”

“I know… but I want to stop more scars…..” Levi picked up Mila, going to curl around Eren, Mila between them. “I love you… and I want you to be alright…”  _ I really do…  _

 

Eren shook horribly as Levi got close. “Y-you don’t know what it was like… n-not knowing when you were going to come home… half the time I was pregnant, and hormonal, and still had to take care of the kids… and-and… and our bond faded so quickly, and I thought… I thought it was my fault why you weren’t coming home… e-even when you did come home… you were so-so angry all the t-time…” He couldn’t stop the tears even if he wanted as he started to break down.  _ Fuck, I never wanted to tell him this... _

 

Levi’s heart broke as Eren began to cry, moving to gently kiss his cheek, his voice soft. “...I’m so, so sorry…. I didn’t mean to make you think I was mad at you, and I’m so sorry I skipped out on coming home so much… ….I did a lot of things without even thinking…”  _ Fuck….  _

 

“You always came home smelling like your Secretary…. remember when I was pregnant with the third litter, remember how I was throwing up every time you came home?”  _ I couldn’t stand it anymore. _

 

Levi slowly nodded, his voice quiet. “I…. that was in the middle of a huge transition at work, we lost one of our biggest investors and three more flooded in to take their place and for some reason it went from simple to impossible to manage… I had to watch over nearly everything they did, it wasn’t that I was cheating or having an affair, they kept fucking up and I had no choice but to practically breathe down their neck…. I…. I’m so sorry….” Levi laced their fingers, their hands both gently resting on Mila’s back.  _ ….I can’t believe it was because of  _ **_me… fuck_ ** _ ….  _

 

“I…. I couldn’t handle her perfume, and it had just kept getting worse until you stayed for a month…. when-when the pups were born… you’ve never… you’ve never come home smelling like me…” 

 

“I’m…. I’m so sorry…” Levi looked to their pup, his voice soft. “...we were struggling to keep everything running…. it was hard….. but… I should’ve done more… we had the pups and I was gone even more than normal…  **way** more than normal… I…. I shouldn’t have done that…” Levi looked away, shame filtering into his scent.  _ ….I’m sorry…  _

 

Eren sniffled as Levi looked away from him.  _ Alpha’s gonna kick me out if I keep making him feel bad.  _ “I-I’m… I’m sorry Levi… I-I-I didn’t mean… I’m sorry… I shouldn’t have said that… I didn’t mean…”  _ I wasn’t supposed to tell him, it’s my fault he did those things, I’m the problem… not Alpha, I wasn’t good enough…. I need to be a better omega…  _ “W-W-We can… we can have more pups…”  _ I can be a good omega…  _

 

“...Eren, stop…” Levi looked him in the eyes, his voice gentle and firm. “You’re not the one that needs to apologize, and you’re not the one that needs to change… it’s me. I’m so, so sorry. I’m going to change. You have every right to be mad and every right to demand better. Because you  **do** deserve better.”  _ You really do…  _

 

Eren was shaking in his arms, his ears and tail popping out as he stared back into Levi’s steely eyes. “But… Alpha wasn’t around because I was bad… and Alpha wanted to keep us happy, so he stayed away…”  _ Even though it hurt…  _

 

“I wasn’t away because you were bad, I was away because I really care about the business… and I wanted to make enough money to keep all of us afloat and happy…. I wanted a good life for all of our kids, and I knew it would cost money…. I just… I wanted to make sure we could do that…”  _ It was gonna be expensive… I needed to….  _

 

Eren sniffled, shaking horribly in his arms, trying to calm down but unable to do so with Levi practically staring him down. “And…. and w-we have plenty…. you don’t h-have to…. b-but you… you didn’t want to stop…”  _ I know we have more than enough in the bank… we always have, the kids are all very happy… and I’ve found ways to make food stretch… I was trying to be a good omega so you didn’t have to stay away.  _

 

“...I’m so sorry….” Levi held Eren to his chest, gently rubbing his back. “I didn’t think it hurt so much… ...I wasn't…. I fucked up…”  _ Fuck….  _

 

Eren has made sure to move Mila to a pillow where she wouldn’t get squished, and trying horribly not to freeze every time that he was touched.  _ I’m being a bad omega again….  _ “I-I-I...I’m s-sorry… I didn’t…. I didn’t mean…..” His ears pinned to the side of his head.  _ Alpha wants a good omega…. I’m not being a good omega... _

 

“Don’t be sorry…. you deserve so much better from me…. you’ve done so much for so long, and I really want to make it easier on you…. we have one more tiny baby pup, and we have so many more already. I want to actually be there for them now. ...I really do…”  _ I’ve always wanted to be a Dad… and I’ve been doing such a shitty job….  _

 

Eren whimpered ever so slightly as he listened to Levi, his body slowly starting to shake all over again. “I-I’ll be… I’ll be a g-good…. omega….I’ll be good f-for Alpha…. A-Alpha kn-knows b-best….”  _ I’ll let him do what he wants… if he wants to stay here, okay…. if he doesn’t I think I can manage….  _

 

“Eren…. you’ve been the most wonderful omega for years and years…. and I don’t know best… I obviously don’t…. I chose work over my own family… ……I want to make it up to you. ….I’m going to help. I really want to. Do you think we can find a place for me around here?”  _ Maybe? _

 

_ Does he mean as…. as an office?  _ “Y-Yeah…. I-I can s-set up a sp-spot….  _ I can do that… _ Eren’s ears were still pinned to his head as he looked down and away as he curled up into Levi’s arms. His scent was still pulled in, knowing it was too rancid to let out.  _ Alpha won’t be happy if I don’t smell nice…  _

 

“.....Eren? …..I mean a place in this house… whether you want me doing laundry, or cooking, or cleaning, or doing homework with the kids… wherever you need help, you can put me….” Levi gently kissed all over his head, petting him. “....I love you…. and I know I don’t deserve you…. ...but I want to really try to fix this….” Levi held onto him, reaching over as Mila squirmed, gently setting her in Eren’s lap, petting them.  _ ….I love both of you.  _

 

Eren was quiet as he leaned into Levi’s chest, flinching ever so slightly with each time Levi put his hand on his back, though less and less each time.  _ It’s okay… Alpha wants to stay now…. he wants to help with pups…. but for how long? How long until he wants to go back to work?  _ He could only nod, trying to force out a sweet scent from his glands as he shook and held Mila.  _ Need to make Alpha happy so he stays…  _

 

Levi slowly laid them down, kissing and petting them both all over, letting out a gentle musk.  _ It’s okay.  _ Levi felt Eren fall asleep, chuckling softly as Mila struggled to crawl onto his chest.  _ My baby….  _

 

Mila struggled to crawl over Eren’s abdomen and towards his chest.  _ Wan…. Food….  _ She sniffed the air, whimpering as Eren’s scent turned more sour now that he wasn’t forcing it to be nice.  _ No…. Momma….  _

 

Levi gently kissed Mila’s head, moving to kiss Eren awake. “Eren, Mila needs food…. is that okay?”  _ She needs to eat….  _

 

Eren nodded, his eyes wide as he realize his scent was out.  _ Fuck…  _ He quickly tried to cover it with something sweet as he picked her up and pulled his shirt off, settling her near a nipple.  _ Come on honey, you need to eat…  _

 

Levi looked worried, looking away as Mila ate. “....Eren, you don’t need to hide your scent… I know you’re upset…. and you have every right to be. But things are gonna change. I promise it’ll get better soon.” Levi gave Eren a soft kiss on the temple, his voice soft.  _ ….I promise. I’ll be better for you.  _

 

_ It’ll get better…. I’ll be a better omega so Alpha doesn’t have to worry.  _ Eren murmured quietly as he pet Mila while she suckled him, sighing in relief when the pressure in his chest went down.  _ I want Alpha to stay… will Alpha stay if let him bond me fully?  _

 

Levi gently pet his mate, his voice soft. “.....I’ll stay, Eren… you don’t have to fully bond with me until you want to. I know I have to earn you and your love back. But you don’t have to be a better omega. You’ve been perfect this entire time.”  _ It’s me…. it really is…. _

 

Eren looked up to Levi with slightly terrified eyes. “I-I…. okay…”  _ I shouldn’t fight with Alpha, I need to be okay… I need to be really okay….  _ He shifted Mila to the other nipple to keep suckling.  _ My glands are gonna start swelling…  _

 

Levi looked hurt at how terrified Eren was, his touch lighter than anything as he gently cupped his cheek with one hand, kissing the other. “Take your time… and you tell me whatever you need whenever you need it and I’ll give it to you….” 

 

Eren nodded as he shook. “Can you…. can you go get the groceries?”  _ I asked you to leave before but you haven’t gone yet… I made sure to put what brand names to get so you get the ones I’ve been using…  _ He slowly started to relax as Levi’s touch became lighter.  _ He might get ideas while I’m feeding Mila… but I’m not on surpressants…  _

 

Levi nodded, quiet. “Okay, I will. I’ll be back soon enough, okay? Don’t worry too much, and call Dad if you need to, okay?”  _ It’s okay.  _ Levi slowly got up from the nest, meandering to the door.  _ ….it’s okay.  _

 

Eren nodded, watching him leave, taking Mila upstairs and to the bathroom as she suckled.  _ I wanna cut… Levi’s getting food so I can make dinner…  _

 

Levi was gone for nearly two hours, concerned as he read over the grocery list.  _ He’s buying all off-brand stuff… but we can afford the normal stuff. It tastes better.  _ Levi came home with the groceries, putting them away, seeing Eren’s expression when he came into the kitchen, items and bags scattered around. “....Eren, we can afford the good stuff… it’s okay.”  _ We have the better kinds of rice and pasta, and normal soda, and all that… we don’t have to use all store brand. Some, sure, but not all of it.  _

 

Eren looked down as he held Mila close, his hands shaking ever so slightly. “I-I… Okay….”  _ I’m sorry, I was… I was trying to be good and save money.  _

 

“Really, though, thank you for being conscious about the money. But we can splurge a little bit on some things.” Levi set down a case of soda, chuckling when one of the kids in the living room gasped and ran over to steal two cans. “Get it while the getting’s good.”

 

“Duh! Thanks, Dad.” The brunette grinned with Lathe’s mischievous eyes, kissing Levi and Eren on the cheek before scurrying back into the room to curl up.  _ Pop!! _

 

Eren looked bewildered at the sight of the kids, finally taking their presence in.  _ Wait…. when did the kids get home? I don’t remember them coming in.  _ He looked over as he saw the older kids working at the table and doing their homework, some of the younger ones working on coloring sheets.  _ I…. fuck, they probably smelled me cutting, shit... _

 

A small pup looked up from their nap when they heard crinkling cellophane, their ears perked.  _ Snacks?  _ They padded to the kitchen, looking up between Levi and Eren and going to settle nearly on top of Eren’s feet, on his back.  _ Hi Mommy!  _

 

Eren picked them up carefully, making sure Mila was safe in her pouch. “Hi, Eli…. I’m gonna start making dinner soon, okay? So you can have a small snack, okay?”  _ They know what the difference is…  _ He made sure to keep his long sleeves pulled down to hide the bandages.  _ I don’t want Levi to worry…  _

 

_ Okay Mommy!  _ Eli sniffed Eren, his nose drifting to Eren’s arms, his ears pinning as he softly whined.  _ ….Mommy smells weird…  _

 

“I probably have cleaner on my arms from cleaning the bathroom up, don’t worry about it, Eli.” Eren set the pup down and moved to help Levi put things away and rearrange what was already away to where he normally kept things.  _ I want things to be in a specific place…  _ “I-I’m sorry Levi, I should’ve put everything away…. Thank you for going shopping.” His voice was small as he kept his head down, pulling out the mix for formula for the pups.  _ Formula and ground meat for my pups…  _

 

“It’s fine, I can help as long as you let me know where it all goes. I don’t want to disrupt the system.” Levi sighed as Eli pawed at his pant leg and whined, picking them up and setting them on his shoulder.  _ Pup.  _ “You’ll get your snack in a minute, honey.” 

 

Eren only nodded and rearranged everything and put away everything. He pulled out a cutting board and a knife, getting out three apples, two carrots, four broccoli stumps and a mix of berries, chopping everything up and making a mix and putting them into small dishes. “Here’s for Eli…”  _ He can eat this much.  _ Eren made sure to portion everything correctly as he made bowls for the other pups.  _ I need to get a bowl for Finnick... _

 

Levi nodded, setting Eli down and letting him attack the tiny bowl of food.  _ Aw.  _ “I’ll go get the rest of them.” Levi went to wake up the napping pups, a flood soon coming into the kitchen to snack.  _ So cute….  _

 

Eren nodded and thanked him quietly before going about and getting what he needed ready for dinner.  _ I can make dinner, Levi did the shopping… I can make food… and then help the pups bathe and get them ready for bed after they’ve eaten… maybe watch a movie in the big nest... _

 

Levi smiled as pups swarmed around his feet when they finished their snacks, sitting on the floor and petting every pup he could, kissing all their heads. “Hi honeys….”  _ …..my babies…  _

 

Eren didn’t pay Levi much attention, looking over his shoulder as his shirt was tugged, seeing one of the older kids. “What do you need help with hun?”  _ More science questions?  _

 

“I’m still trying to get the molecular shapes stuff right… I get that it has five valence electrons, but doesn’t that make it the pyramid thing?” 

 

“Chemistry?” Levi watched them nod, asking for the paper and looking it over. “Oh yeah, this stuff. Okay, let’s figure it out.” 

 

Eren watched as Levi took the paper, trying not to seem too disappointed.  _ Oh right… Levi can help them.  _ His head sunk a bit as he looked down and continued to make food.  _ I’ll need to start looking for suppressants soon… I’ll be coming up on my heat again soon…. I don’t want to go through one with him right now.  _

 

Blaise saw how disappointed Eren looked, pausing. “....uhm, Dad….?”  _ I think Mom would rather help…  _

 

“Hm?” Levi turned, seeing Eren’s disappointment.  _ Oh.  _ “Eren, you can help if you want to. I can cook for us.”  _ Spend time with the kids.  _

 

Eren flinched as Levi called him out, shaking his head. “N-No, it’s okay… I’ll make dinner… you help the kids with their homework…” His voice grew weak as he stirred what he had frying in a pan, looking over the meat that was slowly browning.  _ My babies need meat to get bigger…  _

 

“Mom?” Blaise looked between her parents, nervous as she looked to Eren. “....you already reread the section with me….”  _ You’d do better… and you’re always cooking….  _

 

“Eren, really. It’s okay.” Levi watched Eren slowly nod, seeing him faintly smile as Blaise gently latched onto his arm.  _ Aw.  _ Levi took over cooking, cooking the meat.  _ Eren should interact with the pups…. god knows I wasted all my chances.  _

 

Eren let Levi take over the kitchen, moving to settle down with Blaise at the table and opening the text book up to show her the problem and how to solve it. “It’s just like that, okay…. did you understand why it’s like that?”  _ Did you understand this? I need to go back to cooking so Levi can play with the pups….  _

 

“Ohhhh, I get it.” Blaise drew out the structure lightly before outlining what parts were actually used,  smiling as Eren nodded. “Sweet! Okay, I’ve got it.” She dove back in, smiling. “Thanks, Mom!” 

 

“Mah?” A tiny hand reached out and grabbed at Eren’s sleeve as he walked past, big blue eyes looking up to him as a coloring page was held up. “I-I-Is it pretty ‘nuff?”  _ I want it to be pretty….  _

 

“Of course it is, It’s really really pretty, you even stayed inside the lines, I’m really proud of you honey.” Eren smiled softly, giving the picture back and rubbing their head, smiling as their ears popped out and rubbing behind their ears.  _ You like being pet…  _

 

The pup immediately melted, purring as they were pet.  _ Mommy gives nice pets….  _ They smiled as they were picked up and gently held, happy when they were set back down.  _ Mommy loves me!  _

 

“Mom?” The room quieted a bit when Nevaeh spoke up, curled up near the window, showing Eren a sheet of paper. “....do you think the dark areas are dark enough? I’m trying to get it darker but it still looks strange….” 

 

Eren looked up in surprised as Nevaeh spoke up.  _ She never speaks…  _ “What are you using hun? Are you using pencils?”  _ That what it looks like… maybe I should get you the soft pencils… you’ll like those.  _

 

“Yeah… I pressed harder but it’s still just light grey…”  _ I don’t like it.  _ “It’s more like turning up the opacity instead of increasing the strength of the color….”  _ ….I might need better pencils…  _

 

Eren smiled softly and nodded, heading towards the door for the basement. “I’ll go get you something to fix that.” He meandered downstairs, taking in the faint scent of Tucker’s rut and looking down.  _ He’s still upset about that…. he said he wanted to go on suppressants after…. I let him, but it’ll be hard on him because he’s an alpha.  _ Eren wasn’t more than a few minutes, coming back with a small case of different graphite pencils.  _ This is the case I used to draw…. but I don’t have time for that… not since the first litter…  _ He looked down a bit at the thought, moving to pull his sleeves down again to make sure the bandages were hidden.  _ She’ll take good care of them.  _

 

Nevaeh looked up as Eren came back, taking the small case with wide eyes. “....really? ….I can have these?”  _ ….really? _

 

Eren looked at the case with sad eyes before he nodded. “Yeah, there’s more art stuff you can have downstairs, but you have to ask first, I’ll help you get it all, okay?” He smiled, but it didn’t follow to his eyes as he gently pet her head.  _ I don’t use it anymore…. it’s not like I really need it anymore… I don’t have time…  _

 

“Okay…” Nevaeh reached up, holding Eren’s hand gently. “I’ll take good care of it, Mom… ….you should show me what you can draw sometime….” 

 

Eren shook his head kissing her forehead. “You keep drawing, you’re already much better than me…”  _ I don’t draw anymore, Levi probably doesn’t even know about the art stuff downstairs… let’s keep it that way.  _ He kissed her forehead again before returning to the kitchen to start and make formula for the pups.  _ I’ll have to start making their lunches for tom- Fuck, today’s Friday isn’t it… well, the kids have their study groups and tutors coming tomorrow…  _

 

Levi gently kissed Eren’s cheek as he walked past, his voice soft. “Are they doing okay so far?”  _ I want to see their art after dinner…. we need more on the fridge….  _

 

Eren looked up as Levi spoke, “Huh? Oh, Nevaeh is doing fine… I just got her some different pencils… the pups are doing better with coloring in the lines…” He started to mix the formula together and fill the large bottles he had for the pups, making sure to get out Finnicks ball and put it in his bowl as well as everyone else’s bowl.  _ We’ll get everyone fed…  _

 

Levi smiled, his voice soft. “That’s good. We should put some of their art up on the fridge….”  _ I want to see it…  _ “Nevaeh’s too if she has any she wants us to. We’ll put it in a screen protector and everything.” 

 

Eren nodded, looking to the empty fridge. “Okay…. I’ll get working on that then….”  _ Collect the art so that Levi can see it…. Alpha will be happy.  _ He wanted to scratch at his wrists, his hands shaking ever so slightly from the urge.  _ I wanna scratch but I can’t…  _ He finished filling up the bottles, taking the first two towards the nest where the pups were lounging and playing with their chew toys. 

 

“Well I can help, I wanna see all their drawings… we can all get together after dinner and look, okay? See what they want on the fridge.”  _ It’s okay.  _ Levi finished filling the small bowls with food, happy at the small wave of pups that hurried over to start dinner.  _ Aw.  _

 

Finnick looked around for his bowl, whining when he didn’t see it.  _ Where my food?  _ He pawed at Levi’s leg, wanting his dinner too. 

 

Eren got two pups in his lap, holding the bottles for them and watching them silently.  _ They’re getting big… Mila’s gonna need to eat soon… probably while we’re having dinner, great.  _

 

Levi looked down, smiling and reaching for his ball, setting it on an untaken plate. “There you go, honey. Nice and slow, okay?” He kissed his head, letting him go eat.  _ He’ll be okay.  _ “Eren? How’s Mila doing?”  _ She’ll need to eat soon…  _

 

Eren looked to the pouch he had slung around his front. “She’s-She’s okay…” He got up to get two more bottles of formula to return to the nest to give the pups their food.  _ I’ll manage… I’m not that hungry anyways, so I’ll feed her while Alpha and the pups eat…  _

 

“Okay. Let me know if and when she gets fussy and I can take over feeding the pups, okay?” Levi started to set the table, making sure there was room for both him and Eren. “Even if you just nibble your food, you have a place at the table…”  _ Even if you don’t eat… _

 

Eren shook his head as he got more bottles for the pups, able to feed the rest of the litter before Mila started to squirm and cry.  _ She’ll need to eat… I’ll go up to our room…  _

 

Levi heard Mila’s cries, his look gentle as Eren started to leave. “I’ll feed the rest of the pups, but really, when you come back, I’d love to have you at the table. But wherever you want to be is okay.”  _ If you’d rather cuddle the pups, okay.  _

 

_ I don’t belong at the table…  _ Eren shook his head and took her upstairs.  _ the pups will nap for a bit since they’re fed, then it’s bath time and I’ll let them stay up to watch Netflix as such.  _ He took off his shirt once he was in the bedroom, letting Mila suckle him, and pulling out his phone.  _ I hope he’s not doing anything right now.  _

 

**EQ: Casper?**

**CP: Yeah honey? Everything okay?**

**CP: I can help cook dinner if you need extra hands, or you can enlist one of the chillens**

**EQ: I was actually texting you to see if you were working tomorrow.**

**EQ: I need to get suppressants, and pick up Tucker’s too…**

**CP: Oh, okay**

**CP: Did you talk to Levi……?**

**CP: I know it’s not his decision if you’re done, but I’m just kinda curious/worried**

**EQ: He knows I’m going on suppressants…**

**CP: Okay, I had to ask…**

**CP: I’ll get all of that for you…**

**CP: Has Tucker come out of hiding…?**

**EQ: He went to school today… but he’s still really quiet, I’m not sure if he’s back to normal eating patterns yet.**

**EQ: Tucker’s still really hurt.**

**CP: Yeah…. ...I can’t really tell with Henry…**

**CP: He brought a different boy home today, some kid in his class named Devon…**

**CP: ….I can’t tell if he’s trying to replace Tucker or….**

**EQ: I don’t know, and I don’t wanna ask Tucker about it.**

**EQ: so are you working tomorrow?**

**CP: Yeah, I’m working the closing shift, but I’m there at three**

**CP: I’ll have a dinner break around seven so just don’t come right at seven**

**EQ: Okay, I’ll see you tomorrow then.**

 

Eren sighed as he leaned his head back, watching Mila suckle him.  _ Suppressants… I didn’t think I’d ever have to be on those horrid things anymore…  _ Eren could feel the tears prickle his eyes as he covered his mouth to keep his sobs contained. 

 

Levi felt a gentle ache, picking his head up. “Gene, honey, can you finish setting the table?” Levi left for the upstairs, hearing soft sobs, gently knocking on the doorframe. “....Eren? Can I come in?” 

 

Eren flinched as he heard Levi knock, trying to clean himself up as he switched which nipple Mila was suckling from. “Y-Yeah…”  _ You can come in… you’ll probably try and convince me not to take the suppressants…  _

 

Levi slowly opened the door a bit, his voice soft. “......Eren, you’ve been crying….” He moved to gently wipe the tears away, looking worried. “.....tell me…”  _ It's something else…  _

 

Eren immediately shook his head. “I’m fine, I’ll be fine…. Are you going to work tomorrow?”  _ I don’t know what you’re doing anymore…  _

 

“No…. I might be on my laptop from time to time, but I’ll be home… ….and really, what’s it about this time? ….there’s a lot you have the right to be upset about… ….we should be talking about it…” Levi was gentle, holding Eren’s hand.  _ ….it’s okay….  _

 

Eren sniffled and rubbed at his face, quiet for a few moments before he opened his mouth. “I just…. I never thought I’d be on suppressants ever again… I don’t know if they’ll even work because we’re bonded…”  _ I don’t want to go through a heat with you… I don’t want to have sex with you… I don’t want to have anymore pups. _

 

Levi saw his hurt, gently squeezing his hand. “....Eren… when you have your heats and when I have ruts, we don’t have to be together, I can leave, find someplace else and wait it out, and leave you be…. you don’t have to be on suppressants, it won’t be good for you or for Mila…. ….we don’t have to be together for them….”  _ It can work... _

 

Eren pulled his hand away from Levi’s as he sat up and looked at him with angry and scared eyes. “And do what? We’re  **bonded** ! Do you even fucking know what that means for me? I’ll stay in heat until you help me through it! Christ it’s like you don’t even  **know** how werewolves function anymore. I don’t want to be on suppressants but I don’t  **have** a fucking  **choice** !” He snapped, feeling like a weight was lifted off his chest for only a moment before he looked at Levi and then down. “I’m-I’m sorry…. I shouldn’t…. I shouldn’t have said that…. I’m going to the pharmacy tomorrow to get myself and Tucker suppressants, Okay?” He held Mila to his chest, not able to look up at Levi.  _ I yelled at him… really yelled at him…  _ **_fuck_ ** _.  _

 

Levi looked down, his face flushed in shame. “.....I’m…. fucking hell…. I’m so sorry… I don’t even remember the most basic shit anymore….” Levi looked up, looking defeated. “.....if you don’t want to have anything to do with me during heats, then you can if you want…. but if you want birth control, or you’d rather have me help without being inside, which I know is doable…. ….we can…. but I know you don’t want more kids now…. no more kids for a long while…. so…. ….I don’t know….” Levi looked down, red down his neck as he felt tears forming. “Whatever you want…”  _ I fucked up… I’ve done so much shit and haven’t even noticed…. and now it’s all on Eren…. …..I can’t believe I did that to him…. .  _

 

“Mila’s old enough for formula, she’ll be a week old soon… her immune system’s up, she’ll be fine without suckling. I don’t want to be on birth control… I don’t want to spend a heat with you for a long time.” Eren sighed quietly, shaking his head.  _ I can smell it… he’s trying not to cry.  _ “Go and eat with the kids, they need an actual father figure in their life.”  _ Fuck, I’m so god damn angry…  _

 

Levi nodded silently, turning to leave.  _ I can’t cry now…  _ Levi took a shaky breath as he walked downstairs, coming into the kitchen and finding the older kids all helping themselves, soon following suit and getting glasses out for all of them.  _ …….  _ Levi sat down at the table, not surprised that it went very quiet with his presence, Eren’s place very obvious as it remained empty.  _ ……..  _ Levi tried to eat, nearly dropping his fork with every bite until he felt something tugging at his pant leg, looking down. “....honey?” 

 

_...daddy sad….  _ Finnick whined, demanding attention, pulling until Levi sat down on the floor with him to pet him.  _ I’ll fix….  _

 

Fredrick looked over to where Levi sat on the floor with Finnick.  _ I’ll take care of the chores then…  _ He helped with the dishes once everyone was done, have them cleaned and put away, Levi’s plate wrapped and put in the fridge as Finnick kept him company. He helped to wash the pups, getting his siblings to wash the older pups upstairs in the tub.  _ We can watch a movie, it’s Friday.  _

 

Levi held onto Finnick, soon finding himself under a pile of pups, smiling softly as Fredrick came to fetch some of them for baths. “Thank you, honey….” Levi stood with Finnick, going to wash him, helping finish the wave of pups.  _ Okay…  _ Levi herded them into the living room, looking over their collection of movies. “Okay… how do we pick movies?” 

 

“It’s the 4th litter’s turn…”  _ Neveah’s litter’s turn for movie picking…  _

 

“Ah.” Levi looked over as the litter sprawled over the couch quietly and heatedly debated.  _ Hm.  _

 

The pups finally reached an agreement with Brave, Neveah bringing up the DVD to Levi and smiling softly. “We wanna watch Brave with Daddy.”  _ We wanna watch it!  _

 

Levi was stunned, taking the DVD. “O-Okay.” Levi set the disc in the player, turning it on and letting Nevaeh tug Levi onto the floor in front of the couch, one arm around his daughter and the other petting the pups that settled in his lap, the living room looking like a tidal wave of pups.  _ ….I haven’t heard any of them really call me Daddy lately….  _

 

Neveah curled up to his side, happy to stay right next to him.  _ Daddy’s home! Daddy’s gonna stay home!  _

 

Eren finally calmed himself down a bit, pulling out his phone and texting Lathe. 

 

**EQ: Dad…**

**EQ: I fucked up….**

**EQ: I fucked up, I really fucked up.**

**EQ: I fucking screamed at him… he forgot I have no choice but to take suppressants.**

**EQ: I don’t want to have to take them… but I don’t want to go through a heat with him.**

**LQ: Honey, you two are barely even bonded right now…**

**LQ: …..if for your sake, you want to break the bond for a while, take a break from each other like that, you could be alone for your heats and not have to mate with him…**

**LQ: But you have every right to be mad as fuck, it’s been a very long, very rough time…..**

**EQ: Levi would have to break it… I think Levi would break if I told him to break it…**

**LQ: If you want to do that, you have every right to ask him and if it doesn’t work demand it. I’ll help you if he says no, but at this point, I think he will**

**LQ: You can always bond again if and when you ever are ready again….**

**EQ: I’m…. I’m gonna ask him when he gets up here.**

 

Levi smiled faintly as he held onto his daughter and pups, kissing her head when the movie was over. “Okay, Daddy’s gotta get up, okay?” Levi stood up, meandering to the stairs.  _...Eren missed the movie….  _

  
Eren watched as Levi came upstairs, lookin at him with hard eyes. “Remove the bond… I don’t want it….” He watched as Levi froze in the doorway to their room, looking away and down to Mila as she slept on a pillow in the nest.  _ I don’t want it. _


End file.
